


LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 


[SHITHSO 


t UNITED STATES 0 




wjl<M 



mm 

pgg 

■ 

















































5c <3CSL«ii 

flpfli 

5T^po 

























































































































































































RECLAMATION 


OF 


MARSH AND SWAMP LANDS, 


AND 



CALIFORNIA: 


WITH 


NOTES ON THE CANAL SYSTEMS OF CHINA, 

AND OTHER COUNTRIES. 


ADDRESSED TO THE LEGISLATURE OF CALIFORNIA, 

V 

By J. BOSS BROWNE. 

II 


-♦ 


~,k 

SAN FRANCISCO: 1 



^lta California ^i^inting jiousE 
529 California Street, 

1872. 




















/D3¥£ 


RECLAMATION 


OF 

MARSH AND SWAMP LANDS. 


THE AGRICULTURAL INTEREST. 

It will not be questioned that agriculture is the most important interest of 
California. Very few who came here in 1849, and indeed many years later, 
anticipated the change which has taken place in this respect. The opinion 
that mining would be the leading interest prevailed long after it became 
known that agriculture was a promising source of wealth. There lias been 
a gradual decline in the production of the precious metals since 1853, at 
which time the estimated yield of the mines was $57,000,000; the average 
yield during the past five years has not exceeded $25,000,000 per annum. 
The cause of this decline may be found in the withdrawal of population to 
adjacent States and Territories, and in the change from surface to quartz 
mining, and the consequent necessity for capital. But the history of all min¬ 
ing countries shows that agriculture and manufactures become ultimately 
the most permanent sources of prosperity. Baron Humboldt, whose enlarged 
experience of various countries, profound learning and careful habits of 
research, entitle his opinions to universal weight, says that “ the influence of 
mining on the progressive cultivation of the country, is more durable than 
the mines are themselves, and that the produce of the earth derived from 
agriculture is the sole basis of permanent opulence.” Nor is this a modern 
axiom, derived from the experience of Christian nations ; for, according to 
Sir John Francis Davis, it is a principle laid down in the Book of Mencius, 
that “ The ground is the original source of all wealth, and the principal sub¬ 
ject of taxation. Agriculture, therefore, is called the root, and manufactures 
and trade the branches, and hence the higher honor and attentions bestowed 
upon the former.” In no country is the pursuit of agriculture more honored 
than in China, where even the Emperor himself, the Son of Heaven, takes a 
hand at the plow on the occasion of the great annual festival at Peking, thus 
giving a practical illustration to his people that, however high the station > 
no discredit attaches to the cultivation of the earth. 



4 


The capacity of this State to sustain a large number of inhabitants is un¬ 
doubted ; yet, with all our advantages, and starting with a sudden influx of 
intelligent and energetic people from all parts of the world, we now, after 
twenty-two years experience, find ourselves with an aggregate population of 
less than four to the square mile ; while the remaining States and Territories 
of the Pacific slope contain an aggregate of less than one to the square mile. 
Belgium, as shown by official data, contains three hundred and eighty-eight; 
and there are provinces in China which support eight hundred. Will it be 
denied, then, that we need population ? 

The expectation that population would flow into the country the moment 
the Central Pacific Road was completed, was unreasonable. It requires time 
and knowledge of the country and its resources to bring about so important 
a change. During the past few years much of this knowledge has been 
obtained, and it now only remains to offer the requisite facilities for inter¬ 
communication and settlement to fill up the country. Much may be expected 
in the future, if we adopt an intelligent course of action. An industrious and 
energetic people, such as we desire, will settle where they can obtain at cheap 
rates lands suitable for cultivation, and where they can be within reach of 
the refining influences of churches, schools and public libraries. Without 
improved systems of agriculture and the usual accessories of intercourse in a 
civilized country, these advantages cannot exist. It is a public duty, there¬ 
fore, to give all possible encouragement to so beneficent an enterprise. 

IMPORTANCE OF IMMIGRATION. 

For more than twenty years this has been a subject of newspaper dis¬ 
cussion ; yet up to this time there has been no organized effort, on an ade¬ 
quate scale, to meet the requirements of the situation. Whenever a plan has 
been suggested, it has been a signal for abuse of the originators and dis¬ 
paragement of the system proposed. Iowa, Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska 
and other new States have been steadily advancing in wealth and population, 
while California has remained nearly stationary. 

The total area of the eight States and Territories forming wdiat is called 
the Pacific Slope, is 903,019 square miles. The total population is now about 
850,000—less than one to the square mile. The New England States, omit¬ 
ting fractions, have 49 ; the Middle States, G9 ; the Southern Coast States, 15 ; 
the Western Central States, 20 ; the Northwestern States, 22 ; and Texas, 2. 
The density of population in Europe and other foreign countries, is estimated 
as follows: Russia in Europe, 23 ; Austria, 141; France, 172 ; England, 332 ; 
Great Britain and Ireland, 225 ; Prussia, 151; Spain, 78 ; Turkey in Europe, 
73; Sweden and Norway, 15; Belgium, 388; Portugal, 95 ; Holland, 259 ; 
Denmark, 101; Switzerland, 160 ; Greece, 55 ; Mexico, 7 ; Central America, 18. 

It will thus be seen that while the population in the Pacific States and Terri¬ 
tories is less than one to the square mile, some of the countries of Europe ex¬ 
ceed 300, as, for example, England, 332 ; Belgium, 388. 

The resources of a country are intrinsically valuable in proportion to the 
facilities existing for their development. Without abundant labor the natural 


5 


wealth of the State is of no avail. This is a question of general as well as 
of local interest. It has been a prominent subject of discussion for years 
past; and a bill is now pending before the Legislature, for the express purpose 
of securing State aid to encourage immigration. None will deny that the 
growth of California in population and wealth during the past ten or fifteen 
years, has been slow compared with that of the new States east of the Rocky 
Mountains. A reason for this may be found in the general apathy which has 
prevailed until recently on the subject of local improvements. There lias 
been no concert of action to promote any measure for the public good. No 
inducements have been held out to settlers. On the contrary, a policy of 
“ masterly inactivity ” has been pursued, which has not even subserved in¬ 
dividual interests. The natural advantages afforded by a fine climate and a 
prolific soil, have failed to inspire a just appreciation of the benefits to be 
derived from co-operation in enterprises of a public character. California 
shows but little, if any increase in population during the past ten years. To 
some extent, the decay of placer mining and the drain upon our population 
from adjacent States and Territories, may account for this ; but sufficient time 
has elapsed since agriculture, commerce and manufactures have been placed 
upon a permanent footing, to remedy these drawbacks, had there been any 
intelligent action to encourage settlement. 

All the energies of a people individually the most energetic in the world, 
have been devoted to wild and hazardous speculations ; and it is only within 
the past few years that special attention has been given to the development 
of agriculture and other industries likely to be more permanently prosperous- 
than mining. 

It has been well said that the inhabitant of a mountain region must go 
into the valley and look back before he can form an adequate conception of 
the outline of his mountain home, the local features of which are so familiar 
to him. I sometimes think we cannot realize the true condition of our own 
State until we go beyond its boundaries and take a view from the outside. 
We must see the progress of other countries and witness their rapid advance¬ 
ment in wealth and population, by means of intelligent enterprise, before we 
can realize that the gifts of Providence have not been appreciated on this 
Coast. What does the stranger, direct from the great marts of commerce in 
Europe and the Atlantic States, see on his arrival here? A State with con¬ 
siderable brain, but with a shattered nervous system and scarcely any body— 
a startling spectacle of premature imbecility—a commercial metropolis com¬ 
prising one-fourth the whole population, in a state of collapse, with all the 
outer members paralyzed for lack of the sustenance to be derived from an 
abundant supply of labor. 

What is it makes a civilized State rich and prosperous? Not its veins of 
gold and silver, not its rich soil, not its capacity for production, for in that 
case California would have made rapid strides in the last ten years. These 
are elements of wealth, but they have existed here for countless centuries. 
Population and labor are required to wrest from the earth its hidden treasures 
—to create a demand and to furnish a supply. 


6 


Frederick Kapp, Commissioner of Immigration for tlie State of New York, 
estimates tlie average value of an immigrant to be $1,125. Dr. Engel, Di¬ 
rector of the Prussian Statistical Bureau, estimates the loss to Prussia in six¬ 
teen years by an excess of 180,944 emigrants over immigrants, at 180,000,000 
thalers, and says that “ a ship loaded with emigrants is often looked upon as 
an object of compassion; it is nevertheless, in a politico-economical point of 
view, generally more valuable than the richest cargo of gold-dust.” Governor 
Haight says in his last official message that “ the importance of inviting and 
facilitating the immigration of a farming population from the Eastern States 
and Europe has been felt by all intelligent men in California, and was pre¬ 
sented to the Legislature at the last session for their consideration and action. 
No part of the world offers inducements to such immigration equal in all 
respects to the Pacific Coast of the United States.” But they have not come, 
and why ? Because there has been no organized effort to attract them—no 
facilities afforded them to meet the cost of transportation ; no available lands ; 
no seeds, provisions and agricultural implements provided for them on their 
arrival. 

Local associations, depending upon charity for an existence, will not supply 
the deficiency. What we need is organized capital judiciously applied in 
establishing the foundations of a system that Avill endure and extend for 
years to come; furnishing lands and supplies, stretching forth its ramifica¬ 
tions across the Continent into the densely populated States of Europe, to 
inform, to invite and to assist ; a medium through which a fractional part 
at least of the millions now struggling for a bare existence may find homes 
awaiting them on the unpeopled shores of the Pacific. Well might we follow 
the example, in this respect, of the despised Chinese. Nearly every Chinaman 
landed in San Francisco costs the Hongkong or Canton Emigration Societies 
an advance of seventy-five dollars for an outfit, passage and expenses, to which 
a profit of twenty-five dollars may be added, making one hundred dollars 
indebtedness. This is faithfully worked out, the agents of the Companies 
here generally providing employment. Are we less enterprising than the 
Chinese that we should not adopt suitable means to meet our necessities ? If 
we want people of our own race and color, who will make good citizens, we 
should encourage them 11 to come here; and this is the main feature of the 
jnesent enterprise. 

ANGLO-AMERICAN SYNDICATE. 

The undersigned desires to present for the consideration of your honorable 
body, some facts relating to an important enterprise recently projected by an 
Anglo-American Syndicate in London. The primary objects of the Syndi¬ 
cate are: 

1— To secure by conditional agreements or absolute purchase, large tracts 
of marsh, swamp and overflowed lands in the State of California. 

2— To form a Company in London, with a Board of Management in San 
Francisco, (the capital stock to be at least $5,000,000) for the purchase, recla¬ 
mation and utilization of these lands. 


7 


3— To render such lands when improved, a source of profit to the State as 
well as to the company, by dividing them into small tracts and encouraging 
settlement upon them by sales at low prices and on easy terms of payment ; 
by leases on shares of the crops, by direct cultivation on well organized sys¬ 
tems, and by all other legitimate means that may be suggested by experience 
or by a community of interests. 

4— To facilitate immigration to California, and thereby enhance the value 
of the lands, by providing passages for farmers, laborers, artizans and other 
industrious classes from England, Holland, Germany and elsewhere, and fur¬ 
nishing them on their arrival with homes on long credits and at low rates of 
interest, and by making all necessary advances of provisions, seeds and agri¬ 
cultural implements, to enable them to meet the exigencies of the first year, 
and ultimately acquire such proprietary interests in the lands as they may 
desire. 

These are the general objects of the Syndicate. It is no part of their plan 
to hold large tracts of lands for speculative purposes. They conceive that 
their interests will be best subserved by encouraging the occupation, culti¬ 
vation and settlement of the lands in question, and by promoting the general 
interests of the State. 

The Board of Directors in London will probably consist of Mr. E. B. East- 
wick, M.P., Admiral Sir John Hay, Mr. A. P. Longbotliam, and other promi¬ 
nent gentlemen; and the Board of Management on this coast, of ex-Gov. H. 
H. Haight, and Messrs. Milton S. Latham, R. B. Swain, Cornelius Cole, John 
B. Felton, William Blanding and W. S. Campbell, with Gen. B. S. Alexander 
and Mr. John D. Hoffman, as Consulting Engineers. The enterprise has 
received strong indorsements from the above gentlemen, as well as from Mr. 
William Alvord, Mayor of San Francisco; Mr. George F. Hooper, President 
of the Gold Bank ; Mr. Booker, the British Consul, and others. With such 
influences, it can scarcely fail to prove a brilliant success. The official record 
of Governor Haight is creditable alike to himself and to the State. In the 
bitterest conflicts of partisan warfare, his integrity has never been questioned, 
and whatever he indorses may be regarded as sound, safe and legitimate. 
Mr. Latham has occupied the highest position in the gift of the people next 
to the Presidency, and has discharged every public duty with marked ability 
and fidelity. As resident manager of the London and San Francisco Bank, 
his name is potential in the financial circles of Europe. All the other gentle¬ 
men mentioned are well-known and highly respected, both in California and 
elsewhere. 


PROFITS TO THE COMPANY. 

The anticipated profits to the Company will be derived in part from the 
direct cultivation, on a comprehensive scale, of lands remaining unsold ; from 
leases, rents and sales of tracts suitable for immediate settlement; and in 
part from the growth of towns, villages and local improvements; from the 
progress of railroads, canals and other facilities for travel and transportation ; 
from the general advancement of agriculture, commerce, and manufactures; 


8 


and from the increase in the value of property throughout the State. As a 
principle, whatever has a tendency to promote the general prosperity and 
augment the rewards of labor, must give stability and profit to the investment 
of capital in legitimate enterprises. Where the direct result is to increase 
the area of production, it is reasonable to anticipate that an investment in 
lands at the present low prices, will prove both safe and lucrative. 

The members of the London Syndicate have manifested their faith in the 
proposed enterprise and in the future of California by sending to this coast 
for the examination of the lands and completion of the necessary arrange¬ 
ments, a Commission, consisting of the Hon. E. B. Eastwick, Companion of 
the Bath, and member of the British Parliament, J. F. Dalymple Hay, Esq., 
a Civil Engineer, and the Hon. W. S. Campbell, formerly United States Con¬ 
sul at Rotterdam, a resident of Holland for twenty years, and thoroughly 
familiar with the reclamation systems of that country. 

EXAMINATION OP THE LANDS. 

These gentlemen arrived in San Francisco about two months ago. So well 
disposed was our Government to extend to them every courtesy, that, in con¬ 
sideration of their official standing, the Secretary of State, upon being 
advised of their arrival, and the object of their visit, procured from the 
Secretary of the Treasury authority enabling the Collector of Customs to 
place at their disposal the United States revenue cutter. After an inspection 
of the shores of the Bay in the vicinity of San Francisco, they availed them¬ 
selves of the use of the cutter to visit Vallejo, Suisun Bay, Sherman Island, 
and other points of interest, and returned highly pleased with all they saw. 
They were especially impressed with the value of the marsh lands, to which 
their attention was directed, the feasibility of reclaiming them at a moderate 
cost, and the extraordinary fertility of the swamp f and overflowed lands, 
already reclaimed and available for reclamation in the delta of the Sacramento 
and San Joaquin. Subsequently the Commission divided, and a careful in¬ 
spection was made of the tule, or swamp lands, in the valley of the Sacra¬ 
mento and in the vicinity of the Tulare Lake; and having obtained the 
opinions of competent engineers, familiar with the country, and satisfied 
themselves as to the feasibility of reclaiming these lands at a comparatively 
small cost, and the immense profits to be derived from the proposed enter¬ 
prise, they at once telegraphed to London, strongly endorsing the scheme and 
urging the immediate measures necessary for the organization of the Com¬ 
pany. Elaborate reports to the same effect, accompanied by maps, estimates, 
statistics, etc., were subsequently forwarded by mail, and Mr. Eastwick and 
Mr. Hay, having satisfactorily concluded their labors, returned to London. 
Mr. Campbell, in accordance with instructions from the Syndicate, remains to 
assist in carrying into effect the general plan of operations. 

AREA OF LANDS. 

The Surveyor-General of California, in his last report to the Legislature, 
estimates that there are about 3,000,000 acres of swamp and overflowed lands 


9 


in tlie State. If it were all reclaimed and under cultivation, it would, in liis 
opinion, produce more for a given number of years, than all tlie rest of the 
land in the State together. To his personal knowledge, eighty bushels of 
grain to the acre were raised on reclaimed swamp land this year, and he 
considers it safe to say, that the average of the whole, if cultivated, would 
not fall short of fifty bushels per acre. In view of these facts, he recom¬ 
mends that the Legislature shall give aid and encouragement to the reclaim 
tion of this class of land. 

The total amount of marsh and swamp lands secured to the Syndicate by 
bonds and agreements up to this date is about 250,000 acres, of which about 
50,000 acres consist of salt marshes on the Bay of San Francisco and its 
branches; the remainder being fresh-water lands, about equally divided be¬ 
tween the valleys of Sacramento and San Joaquin. Arrangements are in 
progress to secure about 50,000 acres more; making in all some 300,000 acres, 
now unproductive, which it is proposed to reclaim in a complete and sub¬ 
stantial manner, by embankments, canals, dykes, ditches, and water-gates, in 
accordance with plans recommended by competent engineers. But the opera¬ 
tions of the company will not be limited to the reclamation of their specific 
tracts, which are simply designed to form the nucleus of a system compre¬ 
hending most of the lands of this character in the State. 

It was the original desire of the Syndicate to effect this beneficial purpose 
by co-operating with the owners ; the lands to be put in against the capital 
required for reclamation, and an equitable division of the profits to be made 
in the future; but finding it impracticable to make such an arrangement, the 
agents of the Syndicate were constrained to adopt the system of direct pur¬ 
chase, thereby assuming all the risks and responsibilities. The general ob¬ 
jection urged against enterprises of this kind is, that the tendency is to create 
landed monopolies, and to prevent free competition in the settlement and 
cultivation of lands donated to the State for the public benefit. Respecting 
the lands in question, it may rea»sonably be answered that there has been no 
prohibition to their cultivation or settlement during the past twenty-one 
years, and yet they remain for the most part precisely as they stood in 1849. 
Free competition has never been discouraged either by Federal or State 
authority. The Congress of the United States, on the twenty-eighth Sep¬ 
tember, 1850, donated these lands to the State of California. By Act of the 
Legislature, in 1855, amended by Acts of 1858 and 1861, they were opened to 
purchase in limited quantities by whomsoever might choose to enter them 
according to the provisions of the law. It was found that individual enter¬ 
prise was unable to accomplish the work of reclamation under the restrictions 
imposed, and in 1868 the Legislature passed an Act authorizing the purchase 
of these lands without limit as to quantity, the object being to offer such in¬ 
ducements to capitalists and organized companies as would secure to the 
State the advantages to be derived from the reclamation of large tracts, so 
as to adapt them to cultivation and settlement. Considering that nothing 
was done with them before; that since the passage of the Act of March 28, 
1868, it has been the privilege of any citizen of the United States to purchase 


10 


and reclaim as much as he chose to enter and pay for; that no exclusive 
rights were ever conferred by law; it seems unreasonable to complain that 
some of our citizens have manifested more enterprise than others in purchas¬ 
ing larsre tracts of these lands and availing, themselves of any advantages 
that may he derived either from the sale of them or from their reclamation 
and cultivation. If actual settlers have not had the means to secure and re¬ 
claim them, it is fortunate that capitalists have come forward to do that which 
past experience demonstrates would otherwise have remained undone. Gov¬ 
ernor Haight although opposed on principle to the monopoly of large 
bodies of land by private individuals or corporations, very justly remarks in 
his last annual Message that “ in the case of swamp and overflowed lands a 
system of reclamation may perhaps render their concentration in large bodies 
in the first instance necessary, and indeed, in the case of uplands, where large 
tracts have been acquired by purchase, the fault is chargeable to the system 
and not to those who would avail themselves of it to purchase lands.” 

COST OF THE LANDS. 

The prices at which the lands have been secured by the Syndicate are 
as low as the owners elected to take for them, and considering the easy 
terms of payment, and the rapidly increasing value of such lands, cannot be 
regarded as unreasonable. A single crop of wheat on any specific area, will 
refund all the money expended in the purchase, reclamation and cultivation. 
There could scarcely be a better investment, taking into account the enhanced 
value of the land. If, however, there are equally available tracts to be had 
in the State at a cheaper rate, and upon similarly favorable terms, there will 
probably be no difficulty in embracing them within the scope of the present 
undertaking. The margin of profit would of course be greater if purchases 
could be made at the State price ; but as that is impracticable now, and pri¬ 
vate individuals are not compelled by law to dispose of their property at cost 
or at a valuation fixed by others, the purchaser is reduced to the necessity of 
making the best bargain he can under the circumstances. 

VALUE WHEN RECLAIMED. 

A few practical examples of results actually obtained will best illustrate 
the value of these lands when reclaimed. 

Twitcliell Island, in the delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin, was 
purchased by a Kentucky company, who paid for 3,000 acres $25 per acre. 
By the simple process of burning the tules, scattering the seed in the ashes 
and tramping it in by running herds of sheep over it, they planted 1,000 
acres, which gave them a net yield of wheat amounting to $30,000. Had 
they planted the whole tract, it would have yielded them, at the same rate, 
a surplus of $33,000 over the entire cost of the land. As high as seventy- 
five bushels to the acre was produced on particular parts of the tract, and 
wherever a fair average test could be made the product was from forty to 
fifty bushels. 


11 


On Sherman Island, some of the lands cultivated in wheat yielded a profit 
'of $30 to the acre, and the average was not less than $25. The members 
of the Syndicate, on the occasion of their visit, satisfied themselves, by per¬ 
sonal observation and by concurrent testimony of the farmers residing on the 
island, of the truth of these statements. In one instance, brought to their 
attention, a fourth interest in the crop yielded $16 an acre, and the land is 
now under lease for a third interest. 

At the Mormon settlement, in the Sacramento Valley, an average yield of 
forty bushels to the acre was produced during the past summer. Part of the 
land cultivated yielded as high as sixty bushels an acre. The extreme 
drought of the season rendered even the low alluvial lands less productive 
than usual, owing to the want of a perfect system of irrigation. This draw¬ 
back will be remedied in future. 

From these examples it is obvious that a yield of forty bushels of wheat to 
the acre can be depended upon even in seasons of drought. Assuming that 
only two-tliirds of every tract sown in wheat will, for a time at least, be cul¬ 
tivated with care, the average result for the whole would be 2G 66-100 bush¬ 
els, which, at $1.20 per bushel, would amount to $32 gross. The average 
oost of plowing, seeding, harvesting, sacking and transportation, is about $15 
to the acre, leaving, as the net result, $17 per acre, which in most cases, will 
pay for the land and the cost of reclamation in a single year. But to this 
may be added, as clear profit, the hay or grain resulting from the volunteer 
•crop after the first harvest—worth, say $10 an acre. 

Where crops can be irrigated during the summer, as will eventually be the 
case on all the swamp lands throughout the State, the annual product will 
be greatly increased. Two or three alternate crops of different products will 
not be unusual in a single season. The yield of these moist lands in alfalfa, 
timothy and the various grasses, is enormous. Five tons to the acre is con¬ 
sidered an ordinary crop, while as high as eight tons in a single year is 
nothing uncommon. At $15 a ton, a very handsome profit can be made from 
the growth of hay—allowing one-half for expenses of cultivation, baling, 
.shipment, etc. 

VARIETY OF PRODUCTS. 

So far, I have based my calculations mainly upon the product of wheat, 
our principal article of export. Barley and other cereals will also be in de¬ 
mand for export and home consumption ; but there are other articles of use 
and luxury for which these lands are peculiarly adapted. 

Experiments recently made in the culture of cotton show conclusively that 
this will soon become one of the great staples of the Pacific Coast. The area 
of land suitable for the growth of cotton, however, is limited. It requires 
moisture, heat and comparative exemption from frost. The alluvial lands 
bordering on the Sacramento above Knight’s Landing, and the tule regions 
of the San Joaquin Valley adjacent to Kern, Buena Vista and Tulare Lakes, 
will in all probability prove as valuable for cotton raising as the best lands 
in South Carolina or Georgia. Rice will also be an important product in the 
lower swamp lands. 


12 


The cultivation of the sugar beet and its manufacture into sugar is no 
longer a problem in this State. The Alvarado and Sacramento factories have 
demonstrated the peculiar adaptability of our alluvial soils to the growth of 
this article, and the results of the enterprise are most encouraging. The 
Alvarado tract has been but recently reclaimed from the salt-marsh, and 
furnishes the very best quality of sugar beet. The Sacramento tract is sim¬ 
ilar in all respects to the lands bonded by the London Syndicate. 

Tobacco, ramie, sorghum, sugar-cane and a great variety of semi-tropical 
plants will, as experience shows, flourish in our rich alluvial soils and warm 
valleys. 

SALT MARSH LANDS. 

With reference to the marsh lands bordering on the Bay of San Francisco 
and its branches, the question has been satisfactorily solved as to their fertility 
when reclaimed. Most of them are so situated that immediately upon the 
exclusion of the salt water by suitable embankments, fresh water streams 
can be turned in upon them, and in some instances the leaching process can 
be hastened by means of flowing artesian wells, as in the case of the Beard 
tract. These salt marshes have the advantage of exemption from overflow 
by floods. Situated on the navigable waters of the bay, they also possess a 
special value from their proximity to the commercial metropolis of the Coast. 
For grazing and dairy purposes they will be extremely valuable. Instead of 
importing butter for home consumption, there is no good reason why Cali¬ 
fornia should not make this a profitable article of export. Fifty thousand 
acres of marsh land, thoroughly cultivated in grass, would yield 10,000,000 
pounds of butter per annum, which would find a ready market in China, at 
fifty cents per pound, making a gross yield of $5,000,000. Allowing one-half 
for cost to the producer and profit to the exporter, the net result would be 
$2,500,000, or $50 an acre. Nor are these extreme figures, as shown by the 
experience of Holland and other countries. 

According to McCulloch “ the rearing of live stock and dairy husbandry in 
Holland is a much more important source of national wealth than tillage.” 
The export trade in butter, cheese, etc., to Great Britain, India, and China, is 
very large, and contributes materially to the wealth of that remarkable 
country. With a territorial area of 7,800,000 acres, 5,310,000 acres chiefly 
redeemed from overflow, are highly cultivated. The reclaimed lands are 
exempt from taxes for ten years; and the average value is not less than $300 
per acre, while the rents scarcely exceed two and a half per cent, per annum. 
California, with an area of 08,634,240 acres, has under actual cultivation 
altogether not more than 2,165,776 acres. The average value of all the land 
in the State would probably not exceed three or four dollars an acre. If we 
examine the subject, we will find that flolland teaches us many a lesson of 
intelligent enterprise, as well as patient industry. Twenty-five years ago, 
according to a late writer, there were in one of the Provinces “ 45,000 acres 
of first-rate mud, aching to be turned into Dutch cheese, for foreign markets, 
but which was smothered out of useful existence by just as many acres of 


13 


"brackish water twelve feet deep. About the same time there were divers 
Dutch fingers itching to feel the guilders that 45,000 acres>f rich meadow 
land and pastures would produce, and twenty-five years ago the Government 
set about relieving that aching itch.” The land was reclaimed and immedi¬ 
ately sold for eighty to two hundred dollars an acre. It could not now, in all 
probability, be purchased for $1,000 an acre. Such a spirit as this might 
well be emulated on the Pacific Coast. 

The same writer says : “ No other people on earth are provided by nature 
with that sturdy continuity which enables them to gather solid and fruitful 
earth, inch by inch, from a roaring, thundering, stormy, encroaching sea. 
No other people but the Dutch are just fitted by nature to pump, and rake, 
and shovel a fine productive country out of a cold, sour, reedy marsh. 

“Along the greater length of the western coast a line of low sand-hills 
serves to partially separate the main sea from the Hollow-land, which is 
somewhat lower in surface; and wherever that line of hills subsides, then 
the work of the dyke builders continues the separation which the natural 
wall only half accomplished. Vast lines of earth-banks, from twenty to forty 
feet in height, and from twenty to a hundred feet in thickness, generally 
faced on the sea-side with massive walls of brick and stone, have been raked 
together and maintained at an incomparable cost of labor and watchfulness. 
Huge dams have been swung across the mouths of rivers to govern the level 
of their variable waters; and from those dams, which are often the nucleii 
of great cities, more lines of earth-walls, of all heights below a hundred feet, 
and of all widths less than a quarter of a mile, stretch away along up each 
bank of each river, creek, and bayou, and shut them into bounds ; give docks 
and ways to shipping, roads and canals to travelers, forts of defense to cities ; 
give broad fertile plains to an agricultural people ; give fruitful happy homes 
to three millions of intelligent Hollow-landers. Centuries of unremitting 
care have hardened these main dykes into the most substantial parts of the 
country ; but where it is all so spongy, and so constantly drenched by a moist 
climate, they will never acquire that solidity which will leave them above 
the need of attention. The oldest and firmest of the great lines of dykes 
must still maintain great piles of willow boughs ready for instant applica¬ 
tion to any opening crevasse; and must still maintain their lines of watch¬ 
men—watchmen who can not at all times echo the salutation that one re¬ 
ceives from the peasants of the country, nor the cry which one still hears 
from the night-patrol of the old Dutch cities, ‘All’s well!’ A sudden rush 
of wind piling the waters to an extraordinary height over some low or soft¬ 
ened portion of the separating wall startles a whole country from its quiet. 

“ As in Constantinople the first alarm of fire calls the water-carriers and 
spare police, the second the proprietors and officers of State, and the third the 
Sultan himself to the scene of disaster, so in Holland continued rush of 
water admits of no idle spectators, but calls every hand capable of wielding 
& spade or bearing a bundle of rushes to aid in preventing devastation worse 
than conflagration. Sometimes the sea has proved ungovernable in its ca¬ 
price, has swept over and retained what was before inhabited country. At 


14 


other times it has just as capriciously retired from the bounds so carefully' 
built up for its government, and left rich flats of mud to grow up into cheese- 
producing districts where its waves formerly bore luggers ot the produce of 
other countries. All these sea changes are carefully noted, and assisted or 
guarded against, as far as possible, by artificial means. Shifting of the 
sands, or the mud-bars, or the vegetable growth at the bottom of the sea, 
turns a current against the base of a dyke. If the change seems temporary,, 
a net-work of willow boughs is woven along the face of the dyke for rods or 
for miles, as the case may seem to demand; rows of stakes are driven in 
every direction through that network, and basket breakwaters jut at fre¬ 
quent intervals into the aggressive stream. If the aggression is likely to 
prove permanent and powerful, then strong piles take the places of the slen¬ 
der stakes, and heavy stone and brick walls rise where the willow ones 
seemed insufficient. If, on the contrary, the water appears inclined to recede 
instead of advancing, and if the retrocession appears desirable, then Dutch 
patience and ingenuity assist the rising earth by every mode they can in¬ 
vent. Rows of willow stakes, patches of basket-work, bits of low wall, 
coax deposits of sand and mud, and the appearance of vegetation. When¬ 
ever the reeds begin to appear they are turned to account. The finer patches 
are cut and cured for the thatching of houses, mills, out-buildings, piles of 
drying bricks and turf, and for exportation to England. The coarser ones 
are bound in bundles, the size of a man’s body, to assist in the laying of 
dykes, for the straightening the currents of streams, for retaining in 
bounds the mud gathered from the bottoms of the canals for manure, and for 
rotting into a dressing for the land already tilled. Sometimes bars make 
across the mouths of inlets or bays and leave shallow ponds or lakes of 
water neither fresh nor so salt as sea-water, to be slowly filled up to tillable 
height by growth and decay of vegetable matter, or to be dyked and drained 
as Haarlem Lake was drained a few years ago.” 

THE BEARD TRACT. 

In order to show specifically wliat can be done with our salt marsh lands, of 
which there may be altogether 200,000 acres within the limits of the State, 
I shall refer to a single tract on the Alameda shore, belonging to Mr. E. L. 
Beard. 

This magnificent tract comprises 20,000 acres of marsh land, with a front¬ 
age of about fifteen miles on the southeast side of the Bay of San Francisco. 
The distance to the city of San Francisco from the most central point is 
twenty-five miles. Vessels of the deepest draught can lie along side the 
wharf at the proposed town site of Ceralvo, there being at this point a depth 
of water at low tide ranging from five to eight fathoms. Bay steamers and 
smaller craft can touch at various points convenient for shipment; and with, 
the proposed improvements each section of the land will be brought within 
easy water communication with San Francisco. By ferry from Ceralvo, the 
trip to San Francisco can be made in less than two hours; by railroad from 
Washington Corners or Niles in an hour and three-quarters. The latter 


15 


stations are situated on tlie San Jose and Central Pacific railroads, and are 
distant from tlie nearest points of this tract about four miles. 

The soil is a rich clay loam, formed of the debris washed down from the 
surface of the adjacent Coast Range mountains by the Guadalupe and Co 3 r ote 
rivers, and various smaller streams ; also, by the freshets and floods caused 
by the winter rains. All these marsh lands are formed by the accumulated 
deposits of centuries, and contain the richest elements of soil from an area of 
fertile country not less than twenty miles wide by one hundred in length. 
The whole tract lies about twelve inches above ordinary high tide, and is 
rarely entirely covered with water. The Coast Survey Chart shows that the 
mean rise and fall of tides is six feet three inches ; mean of spring tides, 
seven feet three inches ; mean of neap-tides, four feet nine inches. 

Estimates made by Messrs. Hoffman & Poett, Civil Engineers, show that a 
first-class embankment can be constructed from San Bruno Point, near San 
Francisco, to Allen’s Landing, north of Alameda Creek, for the sum of $409,- 
322. This embankment would reclaim 48,150 acres of land, which would be 
worth, when reclaimed, $4,815,000. The average cost of the whole work 
would be a fraction over $8.50 per acre. The Santa Clara and Contra Costa 
sections, including the 20,000 acres belonging to Mr. Beard, would comprise 
27,974 acres, the reclamation of which would cost $220,950, or a fraction less 
than $8 per acre. Many owners would willingly agree to give a portion of 
their lands for the cost of reclamation, or pay their proportion of expenses, 
with such profit to a company furnishing the capital as might be agreed 
upon. Under the law, a majority of the owners may petition the Board of 
Supervisors and cause a reclamation district to be formed, and upon the com¬ 
pletion of the reclamation all the owners are compelled to pay^ro ratct their 
share of the expense. From inquiry made recently, it is more than probable 
that a petition having in view the reclamation of the lands on the western 
side of the bay would be almost unanimously signed, provided a company 
possessing the requisite capital, duly organized and ready to proceed with 
the work, could be induced to take the enterprise in hand and carry it out in 
a manner commensurate with the value of the property. 

There are local peculiarities which greatly facilitate the process of reclama¬ 
tion. The two principal rivers south of San Francisco—the Guadalupe and 
Coyote—debouch into the bay, passing directly through the marsh lands. 
The artesian well system also, which has been found so successful in the 
Alameda and Santa Clara valleys, continues in full force far down into the 
marshes. Already several artesian wells have been dug north of Alviso, 
from which an abundant and never-failing flow of fresh water has been 
obtained at a depth not exceeding two hundred and fifty feet. All the water 
thrown to the surface in the San Jose Valley, where there are some hundreds 
of artesian wells in operation, finds its way into the Guadalupe, Coyote and 
other streams, and becomes a valuable element in the reclamation and irriga¬ 
tion of the salt marshes. When the dike is completed, all this water can be 
thrown over the surface, the salt washed out, and allowed to flow into the 
bay at low tides, and the land thoroughly freshened in a single season. The 


16 


winter rains will of course greatly facilitate this leaching process. Irrigation 
during the dry seasons is of the utmost importance. At these seasons none 
of the water need he allowed to go to waste. It may be necessary, and in 
fact I think it would be desirable, to have artesian wells bored at intervals 
over the entire marsh. A contract can be made to have them bored to a 
depth of three hundred feet for five hundred dollars per well. Allowing one 
well to every five hundred acres, this would make a total cost of $20,000. 
The substratum of the country at that depth is very hard, and the source of 
supply is so extensive that I think it probable there would be no material 
diminution in the flow of water from the number of wells. The experiment, 
however, of five or ten might be tried to advantage. Mr. Beard’s artesian 
w r ell affords a striking test of the utility of fresh water in the reclamation of 
these lands. Already, in a single season, that portion of land which he has 
completely enclosed and submerged in fresh water, shows a fine growth of 
flags, grass and willows, and will be excellent meadow land in another season, 
even without cultivation. 

The reclamation of salt marshes in the vicinity of our large cities has 
already proved one of the most lucrative enterprises ever undertaken in the 
United States. In 1866 the New York Land Reclamation Company purchased 
a tract of 3,000 acres of salt marsh la'nd lying on the Hackensack and Passaic 
rivers, and Newark Bay, in the State of New Jersey, distant from tlie City of 
New York from eighteen to twenty-five miles. For this land they paid $100 
per acre, amounting to $300,000 for the tract. The cost of reclamation was 
$88,880 ; total cost, $388,880. It was estimated that the land, upon its com¬ 
plete reclamation, would rent for $50 an acre per annum, and be worth not 
less than $500 an acre, showing a net profit, if sold, of $1,111,120. It was 
also estimated that by holding it for ten years it would be worth $1,000 an 
acre. From a recent article in the Engineering Journal, of New York, it 
appears that at the present time, three years from the commencement of the 
work, the land rents for $100 an acre, and is held at $1,000 an acre, and sales 
can readily be made at that price. The water front is considered to be worth 
$2,000 an acre. The net profits from rents and sales within ten years will be 
upwards of $5,000,000. 

If an investment of $388,880, on 3,000 acres of land, produces in three years 
a net profit of more than $2,000,000, or in ten years a net profit of $5,000,000, 
in an old and long-settled State, the prospect is at least fair that 20,000 acres 
of land purchased and reclaimed at a fractional part of the cost per acre, and 
situated in a new State, destined soon to become one of the most progressive 
and prosperous in the Union, will yield equally good returns to the capi¬ 
talist 

Extensive tracts of salt marsh lands, similar in many respects to the 
above, border the shores of Suisun and San Pablo Bays. Napa Creek forms 
a delta above Vallejo, in which a large area of very fine land of this 
character is available. In the Petaluma delta are also some excellent tracts, 
well situated for reclamation. A railroad line has been projected across 
these marshes which will greatly increase their value. 


17 


NECESSITY FOR A TRESPASS LAW. 

Experience lias sufficiently demonstrated the impolicy of attempting to 
preserve a special branch of industry when the circumstances under which 
alone it can be made prosperous have ceased to §xist. The history of 
California since 1849, furnishes a striking example. So long as vast tracts 
of Government land were available as cattle ranges, the stock business 
was profitable to those engaged in it. Whether it added materially to the 
general prosperity of the country is open to question. Even with the 
advantages of a free range, the number of individuals who could receive 
benefit from this source was comparatively small. As inducements increased, 
to supply an augmenting demand, competition became greater, and the 
ranges correspondingly diminished. Add to this periodical seasons of drought, 
during which a large proportion of the stock died from starvation ; the intro¬ 
duction of sheep, which gradually encroached upon the cattle ranges; the 
progress of settlement and cultivation ; the competition from new sources of 
supply; and it will be seen that there is a sufficient combination of causes to 
account for the general depression of the cattle interest. It is the history of 
all new countries repeated. Since the cession of California to the United 
States the process of change has been going on. The old Spanish system of 
stock raising naturally gives way to settlement and the cultivation of the 
soil. It is impossible that the few can continue permanently to retard the 
progress of the many. Extensive ranges cannot be maintained where the 
advance of agriculture gives an enhanced value to the adjacent lands. An 
equalization of taxes imposes increased burdens upon the stock raiser, which 
in time compels him to limit and restrict his operations. 

The agricultural interest in the rich valleys of the Sacramento and San 
Joaquin is gradually taking precedence of the old and wasteful system of 
Spanish cattle raising. Families cannot be excluded from the soil to keep 
open ranges for cattle. Such a state of things would forever exclude im¬ 
provement, and keep the country poor. It would be a discrimination in 
favor of those who own large bands of cattle which they can drive to 
market, while the poor, who have only their small farms and limited 
products cannot afford to even fence their lands. Indeed many intelligent 
men engaged in the stock business see that the time for a change has arrived, 
and that it is no longer possible to contend against the progress of improve¬ 
ment. Experience elsewhere, guided by a sagacious instinct, points out that 
the true remedy lies in an adaptation of existing means to altered circum¬ 
stances. Instead of attempting to perpetuate an obsolete system, they are 
now improving the breed of their stock, gradually fencing their lands, reduc¬ 
ing their ranges to such limits as they can control by purchase or otherwise, 
and thus intelligently meeting all the difficulties of the situation. 

The result of this will be, that their expenses will be reduced ; their profits 
will be more certain ; they will be less subject to loss from fluctuations of 
the season and depreciation of stock, and will hold their interests more 
directly under their own control. With increased facilities for reaching 
market, their improved stock will command fixed and remunerative prices. 

B 


18 


The necessity for the enactment of a stringent trespass law is apparent. 
Small farmers cannot afford to fence in their lands, while the owners of large 
bands of cattle are permitted the free range of the country. California will 
never attract immigration so long as it remains a cattle range. 

There are men among us who persistently oppose railroads, public high¬ 
ways, canals, systems of irrigation and reclamation; who see no necessity 
for progress of any kind, but prefer, like the Apaches, to be let alone. If the 
destinies of this State are to be controlled by such men, what will be our 
condition ten or twenty years hence? 

What have they done so far to advance the material prosperity of this or 
any other State ? 

The assertion that the southern counties of California are better suited to 
cattle-raising than to agriculture is disproved by all experience. Persons 
interested in the preservation of stock ranges, naturally incline to this opin¬ 
ion, but all unprejudiced testimony is against them. There is, in fact, no 
finer agricultural country in the world than that embraced within the limits 
of the San Joaquin Valley and the counties of Los Angeles and San Ber¬ 
nardino. The climate is unsurpassed for salubrity, the soils are rich and 
warm, and adapted to a greater variety of productions than any area of simi¬ 
lar extent in the world. 

It is true there are seasons of severe drought; but these affect the cattle 
interest quite as injuriously as the agricultural. 

It is now an ascertained fact that the cultivation of the soil, the planting 
of trees, shrubbery, orchards and vineyards has a marked affect upon the 
seasons, and mitigates, to a great extent, the effects of drought and frost. 
This is no longer a problem to be solved. So well understood is it, in the 
prairie regions of the West and New Mexico, that repeated applications 
have been made to Congress for assistance in planting tracts of Government 
land. Failing in this, many of the new States now give bounties in lands to 
those who plant trees upon open tracts. 

A cultivated country is less affected by drought than one which is barren 
of trees and destitute of verdure. The old theory that these are effects rather 
than causes of drought, has of late years been abandoned. Exploration of 
New Mexico, Arizona and the Colorado basin furnishes conclusive evidence 
that these vast regions were once covered with extensive forests, since the 
destruction of which they have become in a great part arid deserts. These 
discoveries have suggested a serious question, now anxiously discussed in the 
Eastern States, as to the probable result of the destruction of timber, and 
how far it is likely to be remedied by the compensating influences of agricul¬ 
ture—the fact being accepted that lands deprived of timber and remaining 
uncultivated must eventually become arid wastes. 

There is no doubt the entire State would be benefited by a judicious sys¬ 
tem of irrigation. As an aid to cultivation and the growth of trees, it would 
tend to bring about greater regularity in the production of crops. 

Fortunately, nature has liberally provided the means of irrigation. The 
mountain ranges of the Sierra Nevadas abound in lakes and running streams 


10 


which reach their highest capacity in the season when water is most needed. 
In May, June and July, the snows melt, and the sources of supply are con¬ 
stantly replenished until the snows have vanished, and then in the season 
of harvest the main supply can he used for purposes of navigation. It would 
seem, indeed, as if Providence had provided a vast reservoir, at a convenient 
elevation, for the express purpose of supplying this want, and that it only 
required the exercise of man’s ingenuity to make it available. 

IRRIGATION. 

Connected with the reclamation of alluvial lands is the question of irriga* 
tion which equally demands the favorable consideration of your honorable 
body. Several important enterprises, having in view the construction of 
extensive canal systems, have already been inaugurated in California. Ex¬ 
perience has shown that reclamation and irrigation must go hand in hand in 
order to place our agricultural interests beyond the hazards of droughts and 
floods. 

When placer and hydraulic mining w f ere the prominent industries of the 
State, there was no lack of energy in adapting these natural auxiliaries to 
the extraction of the precious metals from their places of deposit. Enter¬ 
prises of such extent and magnitude as those still to be seen in the mount¬ 
ains have never been even imagined elsewhere, much less carried into suc¬ 
cessful execution, and this under the most adverse circumstances. 

The aggregate extent of mining ditches and canals built in California since 
1851, reaches the extraordinary figure of 5,328 miles, at an estimated cost of 
$15,575,400. Several of these ditches cost from $500,000 to $1,000,030 Many 
of them were constructed when labor was $3 per day and lumber $100 per 

I, 000 feet. Of late years, since the depreciation of the mining interest, most 
of these ditches have ceased to be profitable investments. 

The example is cited to show what can be done for the more permanent 
interests of agriculture and fruit-growing. There is still a portion of the out¬ 
lay already made which can be rendered available in some of the counties. 

It is estimated that the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys contain about 

II, 000,000 acres of rich arable lands. Under a judicious system of irrigation, 
both by the adaptation of mountain reservoirs and streams to this purpose, 
and by the use of artesian wells, it is difficult to estimate the extent to which 
this vast area of land could be rendered productive. There is scarcely an 
acre of the foothills which is not admirably adapted to the cultivation of the 
grape. With a moderate supply of water, in seasons of drought, all kinds of 
fruit known to the temperate zone could be grown—olives, almonds, figs, 
walnuts, peaches, apples, apricots, etc.; and in sheltered situations even the 
orange, lemon and citron would flourish. Of the valleys generally it is 
scarcely necessary to speak. All the cereals grow from Red Bluff to San Ber¬ 
nardino with a luxuriance scarcely paralleled in any part of the world; and to 
these might easily be added tobacco, cotton, sorghum, sugar-cane, rice, and 
various other valuable products. Imagination can scarcely conceive a richer 
country, or one abounding in such natural advantages of soil and climate. 


20 

To accomplish tliis great improvement, it is essential that cheap capital 
should be introduced. 

Irrigation is necessarily and inseparably associated with reclamation. It 
would be of comparatively little use to reclaim from overflow the swamp 
lands of the Sacramento or San Joaquin valleys, without providing, at the 
same time, an efficient system of canals and ditches for irrigating them dur¬ 
ing seasons of drought. The lowlands have an advantage in retaining their 
moisture to a later period in the season than the uplands: but the experience 
of the past two years shows that their productiveness is materially affected 
by drought, and that no reclamation is perfect which does not include the 
means of irrigation. The swamp lands in the delta of the Sacramento and 
San Joaquin are very favorably located in this respect. By the action of the 
tides, they can be irrigated at all seasons, at no greater expense than the cost 
of water-gates and ditches. Whether a soil composed mainly of peat will 
prove in the end as rich and durable as the soils of the interior valleys, which 
are composed mostly of strong black alluvium, is a question not yet deter¬ 
mined by experience. My own opinion is, that the islands of the delta will 
eventually be more valuable for meadow and grazing purposes than for the 
production of the cereals, although their capacity for the latter has not been 
surpassed by any land in the State. 

There is no antagonism between the two great schemes to which public 
attention is now directed—reclamation and irrigation. On the contrary, the 
success of one will materially benefit the other; and we have the most in¬ 
controvertible testimony, that nothing adds so certainly and so largely to the 
wealth and population of a State as the two combined. Systems of irriga¬ 
tion have existed as far back as the history of man extends. In Egypt, the 
water was utilized for agricultural purposes before the building of the 
Pyramids: in China, before the birth of Confucius, and on the continent of 
America, as far back as the records of the Aztecs extend. Cortes and his 
followers found extensive systems of aqueducts and canals in Mexico, and 
Pizarro similar works in Pern, the ruins of which may still be seen ; and it 
is known to the writer, from personal observation, that there exist in Arizona 
the remains of hundreds of miles of irrigating canals and ditches, showing 
that, long anterior to the Spanish explorations, what are now the deserts of 
the Gila were flourishing agricultural regions, abounding in populous cities. 

The area of land subject to irrigation in Piedmont is a million and a half 
of acres, of which about one-tliird is irrigated. The aggregate length of 
canals is 1,200 miles ; and the increased rental due to the system of irrigation 
is $1,450,000 per annum. The irrigated districts contain an average of 269 
inhabitants to the square mile, and show an increase of population of 0,278, 
against 0,174 in the unirrigated districts. 

In Lombardy, the region subject to irrigation embraces an area of G,500,000 
acres, of which one-fiftli is irrigated. The aggregate length of the canals and 
local branches is 4,500 miles ; and the increased rental in the Milanese prov¬ 
inces due to irrigation is $1,800,000, and in other provinces $1,450,000 per 
annum. It is estimated that since these great works were commenced, the 


21 


expenditure of capital in their construction and improvement lias exceeded 
$-100 per acre—extending, however, through a series of several centuries. 

In the valley of the Po, embracing portions of Piedmont and Lombardy, 
one-sixtli of the total area, or 1,547,905 acres, is irrigated, giving an increased 
rental of $4,150,000 per annum. The increase of population in the irrigated 
over the unirrigated districts is fifty per cent. The districts of Mortara and 
Vigerano, formerly desolate waters, now rival the province of Milan in fer¬ 
tility and productiveness. 

Italy furnishes also some encouraging examples of marsh or swamp recla¬ 
mation, among which, one of the most prominent is that of the great marsh 
of Maremma, on the coast of Tuscany. The lake of Castiglione, the greater 
part of which was formerly a desolate morass, has been so far reclaimed by 
massive embankments and systematic channels, that the available land within 
its original borders is now covered with rich corn-fields and luxuriant pas¬ 
tures. There has been a marked improvement also in the health of the dis¬ 
trict, which was formerly noted for its malarial fevers; and it is worthy of 
remark, that the same beneficial effects have resulted from the reclamation 
of other marshes or lands, covered with stagnant waters, in various parts of 
Italy. In most cases, the proper disposition of the flowing waters which de¬ 
bouch into the low ground is of no less importance than a judicious system 
of drainage. As soon as active circulation is established, the land becomes 
warm and productive, and the health of the district is improved. 

Among the most remarkable examples of human industry are the canal 
systems of China. In no part of the world have such wonderful results been 
accomplished with so limited a knowledge of engineering, and under so many 
natural obstacles. The traveler who visits this ancient Empire is constantly 
impressed with the enormous amount of labor expended upon works of 
irrigation. The inhabitants seem to be an amphibious race—living in 
water with as much facility as upon land. China proper has a length of 
1,474 miles, a breadth of 1,355, a coast line from Hainan to Liatung of 2,500 
miles, and contains eighteen provinces, with an aggregate area of 1,348,870 
square miles. The population is variously estimated at from 300,000,000 to 
400,000,000. Dr. Williams gives the density of population in the eighteen 
provinces at an average of 268 to the square mile, which would give a total 
aggregate of 361,497,160 inhabitants. The nine eastern provinces, comprising 
within their limits the Great Plain, have an aggregate area of 502,192 square 
miles, with an average population of 458 to the mile. The Provinces of 
Kiangsu, Nganliwui and Chelikiang are said to contain relatively 850,705 
and 671 inhabitants to the mile ; nor is this incredible, for, according to Capt. 
Wilkes, one of the islands in the Fiji group contains 1,000 inhabitants to 
the mile. With a better climate and more fertile soil than China, the capacity 
of California ought certainly to reach, without difficulty, a density of 100, 
which would give, to 154,000 square miles, 15,400,000 inhabitants. There are 
under cultivation in China 650,000,000 acres of land, being an acre and four- 
fifths to each inhabitant. In Belgium it is estimated that fifteen-seventeenths 
of the total area of land is under cultivation, giving two acres to each person, 


22 


ft,nd in England and Wales about tlie same. The Great Plain of China, Com- 
prising the northeast part of the Empire, extends from the Great Wall to the 
confluence of the river Kan with the Yangtzekiang, a distance of 700 miles, 
having an average width of 200 miles, and a total area of 210,000 square 
miles—equal to the Plain of Bengal. Nearly the whole of this vast region 
is intersected by rivers, canals, and ditches—forming an immense network of 
irrigating systems and navigable highways, and supporting a population of 
177,000,000 of souls. The Grand Canal is one of the most remarkable works 
in the world. By means of its river connections, it formed, before its partial 
destruction by the overflow of the Yellow River, nearly a continuous water 
communication from Peking to Canton, a distance of 1,400 miles. The length 
of the canal proper is 639 miles. Some of the embankments by which the 
waters are conflned are gigantic specimens of ingenuity and labor far surpass¬ 
ing in extent the works of the Mahometans in Northern India. The Yellow 
River and the Yangtzekiang drain the greater part of the alluvial plains 
through which the canal runs, and form the rich delta which supports the 
bulk of the population. Wherever it is possible to drain the land or turn the 
water upon it, for purposes of irrigation, the country is checkered with rice, 
cotton, wheat, and millet fields, with raised embankments and hedges, giving 
it the appearance of a continuous garden. The Province of Kiangsu, of which 
Nanking is the Capital, is one of the best watered and most highly cultivated 
parts of the Empire. Almost every acre is turned to account. Grain, cotton, 
tea, silk and rice are the staple productions. Nearly every city and village in 
the province can be reached by canals. In many places the surrounding 
country is lower than the beds of the canals, resembling parts of Holland> 
and subject to the same dangers from inundation. Chehkiang is another in¬ 
teresting province, noted for its productions of silk, cotton, lacquerware, etc., 
and its flourishing cities of Hangchau, Shanghae and Ningpo ; its canals, 
reservoirs and ditches, and the beautiful and highly cultivated aspect of the 
country. The neighborhood of Nigpo, which the writer had the pleasure of 
visiting, a few years ago, resembles a rich and variegated garden ; its terraced 
hills and plains are scarcely surpassed in rural beauty by the most highly 
cultivated districts of Germany. The Chusan Archipelago, comprising up¬ 
wards of a hundred islands, lying outside of the delta of the Yangtzekiang, 
is notable for its reclaimed salt-marshes extending along the shores. Here 
we have some very interesting practical results from which to judge of the 
value of salt-marshes. Each valley, extending down from the mountains, is 
fronted by a dyke bordering on the beach, which excludes the salt water, 
and is sufficiently high and strong to withstand the heavy surf which some¬ 
times prevails. Canals and ditches of fresh water, having their source in the 
mountain streams, are conducted through the marshes, and distributed over 
them, when necessary. The chief products are rice, barley, beans, yams and 
sweet potatoes. All the land is cultivated—the terraces extending, in many 
places, up to the tops of the hills. The whole group sustains a popu'ation 
of 300,000. During a visit to the treaty ports, it was the good fortune of the 
writer to see many other districts of interest, among which may be men- 


23 


tioned Foocliow, in the province of Fulikien, noted for its vast amphitheatre 
of cultivated fields, and beautiful system of canals. The entire plain, in the 
neighborhood of Foochow, is dotted with towns and villages, intersected 
with canals, and checkered with fields of rice, cotton, indigo and other agri¬ 
cultural products. From the hills, in the foreign quarter, may be seen, at a 
single sweep of the eye, a district of country, rendered productive by irriga¬ 
tion and reclamation, which sustains a greater population than the entire 
State of California, the lowest estimate being GOO,000 souls. 

In the neighborhood of Amoy and Svvatow, the country is also highly cul¬ 
tivated, and the same ingenious system of.utilizing the waters from the 
mountains is noticeable. Everywhere the landscape is variegated with a 
checker-work of rice fields and patches of sugar-cane. The Province of Ivwan- 
tung, to the south, is one of the richest and most remarkable in China. The 
grand delta formed by the north, west and east rivers, contains at least three 
hundred islands, all highly cultivated, and embraces within its area the famous 
city of Canton. Here are groves of bamboo, orange, and various tropical 
plants and fruits. Eice, cotton and tobacco are the staple products. The 
area of country drained by the three principal rivers is not less than 150,000 
square miles, of which a large proportion is artificially watered. Intercom¬ 
munication is carried on by means of canals, which ramify through all the 
valleys. Few roads are seen, and no carts or other vehicles drawn by animals. 
A considerable proportion of the population live in boats, and there are 
thousands of families who derive their sole subsistence from aquatic fowl, 
mollusca, and fish, and whose ancestors for generations have never lived in 
a house. Many of their junks and sampans literally swarm with children, 
presenting the apperance of floating bee-hives. 

Some idea may be formed of the careful mode in which the farming popu¬ 
lation economize space in the process of cultivation, from the manner in 
which they plant their principal cereals. Usually they sow their wheat, 
millet and rice in rows, interspacing the plants with varieties which will 
mature at different periods, and reaping, or uprooting, the crop by install, 
ments. Nothing goes to waste. The entire agricultural area of the country 
is used for the growth of food or such articles as are necessary for human use. 
There are no meadows or fields set apart for the support of horses and cattle 
within the limits of the Empire; consequently, the number of work animals 
is comparatively small. Eice is the staple article of food, upon which the 
great mass of the population subsist, and they display great ingenuity in its 
cultivation. The rice districts are minutely subdivided into plats or squares 
inclosed by small dykes, and intersected by ditches. The water from the 
irrigating canals is conducted into these and carried alternately from one 
plat to another, or over an entire series, as occasion may require. Where 
there is a scarcity of water, the systems of saving by means of aqueducts 
and tanks are wonderfully effective; and the amount of labor expended in 
pumping and dipping up the water by hand labor is almost incredible. Tread- 
wlieels to which buckets are appended are seen in many parts of the country. 
Two crops a year are generally produced; and, in order that no time may be 


24 


lost between the seasons of planting, the water is sometimes turned in and 
fish culture is carried on—the fish being removed to the tanks or reservoirs 
when the land is needed. Everywhere in China may be seen the most strik¬ 
ing evidence of patient industry and great natural ingenuity. Indeed, with 
so vast a population, and so limited a trade with foreign countries, it could 
scarcely be otherwise. The people must work or starve ; and with all their 
labor, famines frequently occur, giving rise to those fearful rebellions against 
the constituted authorities, which occasionally devastate whole provinces. 

IRRIGATION COMPANIES ALREADY IN THE FIELD. 

Among the enterprising pioneers in public improvements, to whom we 
are mainly indebted for the comprehensive systems of irrigation now pro¬ 
posed, special mention should be made of Mr. Orton Simmons, who, in 1852, 
brought with him, from Chili, a vast amount of valuable experience on the 
subject of the canal and irrigating systems of South America. Mr. Simmons 
proceeded soon after his arrival to examine the great valleys of the Sacra¬ 
mento and San Joaquin, and projected much of the work now in process of 
execution. From 1852 to 1853 he persistently represented to the capitalists 
of San Francisco the importance of these great works of internal improve¬ 
ments; but it was not until Mr. John Bensley, Mr. Charles Webb Howard, 
and other able and enterprising business men, took hold of the matter, that 
the project was fairly estimated and taken in hand. 

Mr. Bensley has since that time been one of the most active promoters of 
the scheme. His connection with the Bensley Water Works, of San Fran¬ 
cisco, and other important enterprises, have given him a strong hold upon 
the public in matters of this kind. Mr. Howard has been an intelligent and 
zealous supporter of the work, and now enjoys the satisfaction of seeing it 
in a fair way of being consummated. Mr. Wliitclier, of Oakland, made sur 
veys of King’s River and the Tulare region, and pressed the matter upon the 
attention of Congress in 18G8; but no action was taken in support of his views. 
The writer at the same time pressed the matter upon the attention of Con¬ 
gress, in a written communication, and obtained a favorable hearing from the 
Committee; but it was impossible to arouse an interest in a matter which 
promised neither spoils nor political advancement. 

CALIFORNIA CANAL AND IRRIGATION COMPANY. 

One of the most important and comprehensive enterprises ever started on 
the Pacific Coast is that of the California Canal and Irrigation Company, a 
branch of which was organized some time ago, under the name of the San 
Joaquin and King’s River Canal and Irrigation Company. The Board of 
Management has not yet been officially announced, but it is generally known 
that the chief promoters of the enterprise are Messrs. I. Friedlander, W. C. 
Ralston, W. S. Chapman, Miller & Lux, Luning, and other gentlemen com¬ 
petent to carry through such an undertaking. The agricultural interests of 
California have always found a liberal friend and advocate in Mr. Friedlander, 


who is universally known on this Coast as a gentleman of sound judgment, 
progressive spirit, and more than ordinary energy and originative capacity. 
He has already done much to encourage the grain production and export 
trade ot the State, and has been for many years connected with nearly every 
measure ot public utility calculated to promote our domestic industry and 
'Commerce with foreign countries. The name of Mr. Ralston gives to the 
enterprise the strongest possible assurance of success. Wherever the Bank 
ot California is known—whether in Europe, Asia, or America this gentleman 
is recognized as a leading power on the Pacific Coast. Bold, enterprising, 
and sagacious, clear and vigorous in mind, gitted with extraordinary admin¬ 
istrative capacity, and ever ready to aid in legitimate enterprises, he is uni- 
\ersally regarded as one ot the representative men of whom California may 
w-ell teel proud. Mr. Nicholas Lulling is generally known in California as a 
gentleman of liberal and enlighted views, a prominent capitalist, and the 
originator and promoter of numerous important enterprises. Combined with 


grea£ sagacity, he possesses more than ordinary nerve and remarkable powers 
ot administration. His success in business has been no accident of fortune, 
but is due entirely to his own energy and ability. With such influences as 
these, and the co-operation of the other gentlemen named, this Company pre¬ 
sents strong claims to public confidence. 

The eastern trunk ot the proposed canal line, so far as can be ascertained 
at present, commences at the southern extremity of Kern Lake, and ex¬ 
tends northerly along the Sierra Nevadas as far as Red Bluff, in the Sac¬ 
ramento A alley, a distance of more than five hundred miles. This grand 
canal is designed both tor purposes of navigation and irrigation. It will 
derive its supply of water from the great western shed of the Sierra 
Nevadas, comprising an area of more than twenty thousand square miles, 
drained by Kern, Tule, Cowille, King’s, Fresno, Oliowchilla, San Joaquin, 
Merced, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Mokelumne, and various smaller rivers and 
creeks south of Stockton, and north by the Feather, Yuba, American and 
Bear rivers. The western trunk will probably commence at Summit Lake, 
with connections Irom Kern, Buena Vista and Tulare Lakes, and passing in a 
northerly direction along the foot-hills of the Coast Range,form a continuous 
line of communication to Antioch, a distance of one hundred and sixty-tliree 
miles; thence up the western side of the Sacramento Valley as far north as 
Stony Creek, about two hundred miles, deriving its supplies from the water¬ 
shed of the Coast Range, and from the Southern Lakes. The aggregate 
length of the two main trunks will probably fall but little short of nine 
hundred miles. Forty miles of the canal, commencing at Summit Lake, have 
already been constructed. The area of irrigable land in the two great valleys 
is estimated to be about 15,000 square miles, or 9,000,000 acres. It is proper to 
remark that these statements and calculations are not derived from any data 
furnished by the Company. The writer bases them upon his own general 
knowledgeof the country, and occasional notices which have appeared in the 
newspapers. 

The capital required to carry into effect this important enterprise can 


C 


26 


scarcely fall short of $20,000,000; but it will be one of the safest, most lu¬ 
crative, and beneficial investments ever made on this coast. If it should be 
the means of rendering productive a fractional portion of the uplands now 
uncultivated, or partially cultivated, and subject to all the casualties of 
drought, it would enhance the export trade of this State in wheat alone more 
than $15,000,000 per annum. It would also be the means of encourging the 
best class of immigration to California, to an extent that could scarcely be 
equaled, and certainly not surpassed, by any other public measure that could 
be devised. Such an enterprise is worthy the serious consideration and 
cordial support of the Legislature; and we earnestly trust, that it will meet 
with proper legislative encouragement. 

Nothing could show more conclusively the practical value of the State 
Geological Survey than the maps prepared from original surveys made dur¬ 
ing the past nine years, under the direction of Professor Whitney, the State 
Geologist. The work has been done with great skill and care, and will com¬ 
pare favorably with the best work of a similar kind done in Europe. Already 
the sectional maps published have become essential to a knowledge of our 
mountain and river systems. Without the labors of the survey we would 
have no data upon which to base any reliable calculations as to the extent of 
our mineral belts or the area of our water-catchment. A detailed and accurate 
map of California, such as that in course of preparation acd nearly completed 
by the Geological Survey, is not less important to the understanding and 
development of our material resources than the elaborate charts of the Coast 
Survey are to the purposes of commerce and navigation. No intelligent 
person, gifted with ordinary common sense, will deny that the survey of our 
coasts, bays and harbors, under responsible supervision, is indispensable to 
enlarged commercial intercourse. No civilized nation at the present day is 
without it. Millions of money have been devoted to this great work by the 
Government of the United States, and no expenditure of public money lias 
proved more beneficial to the commerce of the country. The charts of the 
Coast Survey bear to commerce and navigation the same relation that the 
surveys and maps of the Geological Survey bear to mining and works ot 
internal improvement. It would be as hazardous to undertake the construc¬ 
tion of any extensive system of ditches or canals without an accurate map 
showing the area of water-catchment, the elevation and inclination of the 
mountain ranges, with their ridges and spurs, as to attempt the navigation 
of our inlets, bays or harbors without the measurements of soundings of the 
Coast Survey. If Professor Whitney had accomplished nothing more than 
the accurate delineation of the Sierra Nevada and Coast Range systems, sur¬ 
veyed and defined our mineral belts, furnished to the world the maps already 
published, and nearly completed the great central map, extending from 
Owen’s Lake to Lassen’s Peak, he would merit the gratitude of every citizen, 
and the unanimous approval of the Legislature. The work is thoroughly 
and conscientiously done. It would be alike discreditable to the State and 
injurious to every public enterprise now projected to leave it unfinished. A 
liberal appropriation should be made to enable the State Geologist to com- 


27 


plete his work in a thorough and satisfactory manner. It will prove the 
best investment of public money ever made by the State of California. 

TIIE LAKE TAHOE AND SAN FRANCISCO WATER WORKS COMPANY, 

Organized several years ago, is now vigorously prosecuting its operations 
in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The proposed enterprise when first brought 
to the attention of the public, was regarded by many as visionary and im¬ 
practicable ; but careful surveys, and actual data since obtained have demon¬ 
strated that it is not only perfectly feasible, but that the cost will not exceed 
the original estimates made by the distinguished engineer, Mr. A. W Von 
Schmidt. Undoubtedly, the enterprise is gigantic in its proportions, and 
would be appalling to a less experienced and comprehensive mind than that 
of Mr. Von Schmidt; but his thorough grasp of all the natural obstacles, his 
clear elucidation of the principles involved in the undertaking, and the 
wonderful success which has attended his engineering operations on this 
coast during the past twenty-two years, have inspired entire confidence in his 
ability to carry this great work into successful operation. As engineer of the 
San Francisco Spring Valley, and White Pine Water Works, constructor of 
the Hunter’s Point Dry Dock, and inventor and patentee of the method by 
which Blossom Rock was removed, Mr. Von Schmidt has achieved a reputa¬ 
tion extending far beyond the limits of the United States. That his indom¬ 
itable energy and vigorous grasp of the whole subject will result in the 
consummation of this grand work is no longer a matter of doubt. From his 
late report, it appears that Lake Tahoe is situated at an elevation of 0,220 
feet above the level of the sea, and covers an area of 240 square miles. Its 
greatest depth is 1,500 feet. 

The only outlet of the Lake is the Truckee River, which flows during the 
driest time of the year, in ordinary seasons, 800,000,000 gallons of water per 
diem, and for some months, during the floods, more than three times that 
quantity. 

To guard against dry seasons, a dam has been constructed by the company, 
on the Truckee River at the outlet of the lake, with suitable gates, for the 
purpose of storing the water, by preventing the floods from escaping out of 
the lake and running to waste, at the same time allowing the necessary 
amount of water to flow down the Truckee River for the use of mills and 
manufactories. The lake will fill to the capacity of this dam in one ordinary 
season. A second dam has been constructed three quarters ol a mile below. 

The quantity of water thus stored will be immense, and will be better un 
derstood by stating that one foot ol water drawn Irom this lake in a year 
will give one hundred and thirty-seven million gallons per day. 

The lake will be raised by the dam six feet above low water mark or about 
one foot above high water mark; it will then give six times Uj7,000,000 
gallons, or 822,000,000 gallons per diem, without interfering with the natural 
or ordinary flow of the Truckee River—that is, alter the Lake is once filled 
to the height of the dam. 


28 


To make the waters of Lake Tahoe available, the following 1 work is neces¬ 
sary to he done: 

The water from the dam at the outlet of the Lake will flow down the 
Truckee lliver, three and three-quarter miles to the company’s dam on the 
river, at which point it is diverted from the river into a canal to be con¬ 
structed, six miles long, through which it flows to the entrance of the pro¬ 
posed tunnel at Hardscramble Creek, through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 
The tunnel by this Hardscramble Creek route is 20,400 feet, or five miles long. 
The water from the canal enters and flows through this tunnel, coming out 
on the west side of the mountains at a point a short distance above the Soda 
Springs on the South Fork of the North Fork of the American River. 

For the supply of towns and cities, the water, after leaving the tunnel at 
or near Soda Springs, on the west side of the mountain, will flow down the 
granite bed of the American River about twelve miles, where it will be taken 
from the river and conducted in a suitable canal a distance of about forty 
miles, to a point near Auburn, in Placer County ,at which point it will enter 
a reservoir of convenient size, to be constructed for that purpose. Leaving 
this reservoir, the water will enter a large wrouglit-iron pipe, and by that 
means be conducted to the city of San Francisco, via Sacramento, Fairfield, 
Vallejo and Oakland. 

The canal to Auburn will have capacity to carry 100,000.000 gallons per 
day. The length of pipe from Auburn to San Francisco will be about one 
hundred and twelve miles, making the total distance of actual line of works 
to be constructed, to reach San Francisco, one hundred and sixty-tliree 
miles. 

Estimated total cost of line to San Francisco, $10,000,000. The pipe is 
calculated to deliver at least 20,000,000 gallons of water per day in the city 
of San Francisco, at an elevation of three hundred and seventy feet above 
the city base. Estimated sources of income: from the sale of 500,000,000 
■ ts o at -1 dail), f )r one year, for mining purposes only, expenses de¬ 
ducted, $963,326.40; from towns, cities, and mines—from the sale of 400,- 
000,000 gallons of water daily, for one year, for mining purposes, expenses 
deducted, $746,642.40; from the sale of 100,000,000 gallons daily, for one 
year, to towns, cities, etc., $576,000—total, $1,322,642. Deduct yearly ex¬ 
penses of line of works for towns and cities, $200,000—total net income, 
$1,122,642.40. 

THE CALIFORNIA IRRIGATION COMPANY 

Have in view the construction of a canal, for irrigation and water-power, 
and the conveyance of water for manufacturing purposes ; the canal to extend 
from the west side of the Sacramento River, near Red Bluff, to Cache Slomrh, 
Suisun Slough, and Suisun Bay, with the necessary feeders and branch canals 
for collecting and receiving the waters of the streams leading into the said 
river from the Coast Range and Clear Lake, and for using the same to the 
best advantage for the purpose specified and for irrigating the land between 
the River and the Coast Range, from the commencement to the termination 


29 


of the canal or canals. Capital stock, $10,000,000, divided into 100,000 shares. 
Trustees—J. B. Frisbie, Eugene L. Sullivan, A. H. Rose, C. W. Howard and 
Charles E. McLane. 


LAKE TAHOE AND AMERICAN RIVER WATER COMPANY 


Propose to conduct water from Lake Tahoe, by its natural outlet, through 
Truckee River, or by canal, flume or pipes, as far as Squaw Valley ; thence by 
tunnels or otherwise, through the mountains, about three miles, to the Ameri¬ 
can River, Placer County; to raise the superfices of said lake, and use all 
water thereby accumulating m the tributaries of said river, from its highest 
branch to its confluence with the Middle Fork ; to construct dams, flumes, or 
reservoirs in said county, or elsewhere, for the purpose of distributing or 
using water for mining purposes, irrigation, supplying cities and towns with 
pure water; to save the snow and rain-water of the valley of the North Fork 
and all its tributaries by a succession of dams throughout the whole extent 
ot the ditch or canal along the whole divide between the North and Middle 


Forks ot said river; to construct a dam across the lower outlet of Tadpole 
Lake, lying above Shirttail Canon Divide, and in other places, for the pur¬ 
pose oi holding water in store as a distributing reservoir to supply mines 
and miners with water for mining, domestic use, and irrigation ; to construct 


a bed rock flume on the Shirttail Canon Divide, for the purpose of having 
water for general placer mining; to conduct water from the North Fork Divide 
over the Middle Fork Divide, on the mining districts of Last Chance, Dead 


Wood, and to the North Fork and Middle Fork, and Long Canon, and the 
mining camps, Battersby’s Bluffs, Michigan, Forest Hill, Damascus, Iowa Hill, 
Yankee Jim, Brushy Canons 1, 2 , 3, 4, and any other mining districts or 
camps; to sell, let, or dispose of all or any of said water in such quantities, 
and at such rates or prices as said company may flx; to use any canal con¬ 
structed by said company for the purpose of navigation, and for carrying 
freight or passengers for hire, with the right to collect such tolls on said 
canal or canals as said companies may think proper ; to save up and dispose 
of all water from the melting of snow and natural water-sheds which may 
be found from Lake Tahoe to Auburn, near to the confluence of the North or 
Middle Forks, or further. Capital stock, $13,000,000, divided into 130,000 
shares. Trustees—Robert Battersby, R. S. Perrin, F. C. Du Brutz, Henry 
Hughes and S. R. Randolph. 


THE TUOLUMNE RIVER IRRIGATION CANAL 

Is an important enterprise projected by John Burcham, M. A. Wheaton, 
and Chas. Elliott, present owners of a dam and water right on the Tuolumne 
River. These gentlemen propose making an application to the Legislature, 
at its present session, for authority to enable the people of Stanislaus County 
to vote upon the question of issuing $300,000 in County Bonds, to carry the 
work into effect. As a consideration for the issuance of the bonds, the gentle¬ 
men named propose to construct from their present dam near La Grange, to 


the San Joaquin River, two canals, or aqueducts, for irrigation and such other 
purposes as the same may be useful for; one of the said canals to start from 
the northerly, and the other from the southerly side of Tuolumne River, and 
both to be constructed within two years from the date of the issuance and 
delivery of the first bonds, and to be at least thirty feet in width and not less 
than four feet in depth from the top of their embankments to their bottoms, 
or of sufficient capacity to fill a ditch of these dimensions, with a grade of 
eighteen inches to the mile. Instead of building two canals for the first 
fifteen miles from the dam, the owners may, if they prefer, build one canal of 
double the capacity named, from the dam down one side of said Tuolumne 
River, for any distance not exceeding fifteen miles, and then carry a due pro¬ 
portion of water by any suitable means to some point across the river, from 
which the other canal may be constructed to the San Joaquin River. 

This enterprise, if carried into effect, will be of inestimable value to Stanis¬ 
laus County. It will render productive at least 500,000 acres of rich valley 
land, now subject to drought, between the Merced and Stanislaus rivers. 

THE CLEAR LAKE WATER WORKS COMPANY 

Offer to deliver in a reservoir provided by the City of San Francisco, at an 
elevation of 380 feet, 40,000,000 gallons of water per day. The Company 
will give the city the privilege of taking from its sources of supply at Clear 
Lake, in addition, 200,000,000 gallons per diem,and will construct the conduit 
from the source of supply to the heights north of Benicia, of sufficient capacity 
to carry 300,000,000 gallons daily; said water works to be fully completed, 
conveyed and delivered to the city within two years from the time of signing 
contract therefor. The city and county to pay, in consideration of building, 
coupling and furnishing and delivering to the city, the said water works and 
water, as above mentioned, to pay the Company $8,000,000, as follows: 8,000 
bonds of the denomination of $1,000 each, payable in thirty years from date 
thereof, bearing interest at six per cent, per annum ; the bonds to be delivered 
as the work progresses. The work to be divided into sections, as may be 
agreed upon, and when each section shall be completed the Company shall 
receive seventy-five per cent, of such proportion of $8,000,000 of bonds as 
such section shall bear to the whole number of sections in the works; the 
balance of twenty-five per cent, to be paid when the works shall be finally 
completed and delivered to the city. The work shall be done subject to the 
approval of an engineer selected by the city. 

Considerable work has been done during the past year in reclaiming the 
swamp lands situated in the delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin, and 
in the construction of levees on the upper Sacramento and Feather rivers. 
The depression of the farming interest, caused by the extreme drought of the 
past season, attracted public attention to the necessity of providing means 
for the irrigation of our uplands, and the reclamation of the low, alluvial 
lands subject to overflow. Great activity, therefore, has prevailed in these 
important branches of industry; and various new companies having these 
objects in view have been organized. 


31 


RECLAMATION COMPANIES ALREADY IN THE FIELD. 

The Tide Land Reclamation Company, of which J. B. Haggin is President, 
^nd George D. Roberts, Judge Heydenfeldt, Dr. Zeile, Judge Hagar, Robert 
Watt, and Mr. Newland are prominent members, was organized about two 
years ago, and has made very satisfactory progress. This company owns 
one hundred and twenty thousand acres of swamp land in the delta of the 
lower San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers, embracing the greater portion 
of Roberts, Union, Grand, Twitchell, Andros, Brannan, and Staten islands, 
with some large tracts adjoining the uplands. Of these lands, Twitchell 
Island has been reclaimed, and is now under profitable cultivation. Work is 
well advanced on Grand Island. Already a substantial levee of forty-eight 
miles has been constructed on this island, which will be completed in time 
for the coming season; and considerable progress has been made in the em¬ 
bankment of Brannan and Andros islands and the Russian District. All the 
new works constructed, up to this date, are very substantial, ranging from 
twenty-five to thirty-five feet at the base, and from six to nine feet in height, 
and have borne the severe test of the present high floods in the most satis* 
factory manner. Very little damage has been done. The problem of levees 
against floods is considered demonstrated. So far from injuring the prospect 
of future operations, confidence has been thoroughly established, and the 
swamp lands never were in greater demand. Bowlder Island, which belongs 
to a private association in San Francisco, has suffered a slight overflow, owing 
to the fact that it has only been protected by what is known as a “ tide levee 
but no material damage has been done. Sherman Island has a substantial 
levee of fifty miles, constructed at a cost of $220,000. 

Owing to the floods of the past few weeks, a portion of the levee which 
was in an exposed position and very imperfectly constructed gave way, but 
the amount of damage done was inconsiderable. Mr. Wm. C. Walker, 
Superintendent of the Tide Land Reclamation Company, referring to some 
exaggerated reports in relation to the alleged destruction of levees on Grand 
and Sherman Islands, says in a recent letter to the Alta : 

“ The looker out from a pass-by steamer on Steamboat Slough might be 
deceived as to the amount of damage done, from the fact that there are 
several sections of the work uncompleted, thus giving the water free access 
over the island. There are also exposed portions that are more or less washed 
by the waves caused by the steamboats. The levee being new, it is more 
liable to wash than an old levee would be under similar circumstances. I 
am confident that I am within the mark when I say that the levees on Grand 
Island have not been damaged, so far, to the extent of $2,500. The extent 
of levee on this island now completed is over forty miles. 

“ The levee has in no place given way by the pressure. Had the work 
been completed before the storm, the reclamation would have been perfect 
as against the present flood. 

“ In regard to the break on Sherman Island, which has flooded a portion of 
the island, I understand that it will be closed to-morrow. The expense of. 
.filling the break ought not to exceed $500. The people on Sherman Island 


are not concerned as to tlieir safety or the success of tlieir reclamation. The 
water on the island will not cause any loss of crops or stock, and will soon 
he drained out by the action of the tides. 

“ I have recently examined all the principal levees on the Lower San Joaquin 
and Sacramento rivers, and although there are some of the smaller levees 
covered by the water, I have seen no damage to any that would exceed a few 
hundred dollars. In fact, it is a question whether or not the land will not 
be more benefited than damaged by the floods. The sediment deposited on 
Grand Island, by the present flood, will amount to several inches, and some 
ot the lower places much more. This will, more than compensate for the 
damage done the levee.” 


This is remarkable, and shows that when the levees are properly con¬ 
structed, they are capable of resisting the highest floods. Of course, experi¬ 
ence will be gained as works of this kind advance, and any defects that may 
exist in the present system of construction will be remedied. 

It was not anticipated and it would be unreasonable to expect that every 
contingency could be provided against in the beginning. The rainfall up to 
. date has exceeded that ot 1861-2. llailroads, stage-roads, bridges, fences and 


all sorts of improvements have been swept away in many places throughout 
the State. It would be strange it new levees in an incomplete condition 
should alone be exempt from injury. The best possible evidence of the power 
of properly constructed levees to in sist floods is furnished by the City of 
Sacramento, which in 1862 presented a scene of utter desolation. Since that 
time proper embankments have been built, and although considerably below 
the level of the flood, it is now one of the driest cities in California. While 
Stockton, San Jose and even San Francisco have suffered considerable incon¬ 
venience from inundation, no damage whatever has been sustained in Sacra¬ 
mento. It would be as unreasonable to argue that railroads, county-roads, 
bridges and fences have proved inadequate to the purposes of transportation 
or protection and therefore might as well be abandoned, because they have 
suffered some damage in an exceptional season of flood, as to contend that 
the reclamation ot swamp lands is a failure because a few breaks have occur- 
ie<i in imperfectly constructed levees. There is no country in the world 
where the climate is more favorable and the engineering difficulties less 
formidable for purposes of this kind than in California. We have no floating" 
fields of ice, no freezing, thawing and breaking up of embankments, as in 
Holland ; no floods laden with forest trees and masses of ice, as on the Mis¬ 


sissippi, to contend against; nothing but moderate rains a few months in the 
year accompanied by genial weather nine years out of ten, and nothing in an 
engineering point ot view that cannot easily be provided against in our worst 
seasons of flood. It we have neither the courage nor the perseverance to 
mend a broken levee or improve upon a defective system, let us at least show 


regard enough for are own interests to invite an immigration from Holland. 
Men who have wrested a state from the sea and given it wealth and power by 
their labor and intelligence will not be discouraged by trifling obstacles. 
With a few willow hedges they would soon protect every dyke, and establish 


basket factories to pay the expense. A striking illustration of what can be 
done in this way is furnished by the experience of the late Mr. Colt, at Hart¬ 
ford, Connecticut. Having first purchased at a nominal price a tract of 
swamp land subject to annual overflow situated on the Connecticut river near 
Hartford, he proceeded to make an embankment for its protection, under the 
supervision ol competent engineers and practical workmen from Holland. 
As soon as the work was sufficiently advanced he planted at the base of the 
embankment a quantity of Irish oziers, or yellow willows, and in the course 
of a few years when they were well rooted and stocked, he established a 
basket manufactory, which is now a flourishing and profitable business., His 
pistol and basket making establishments form quite a considerable town on 
the reclaimed land, fllie banks of the river, thus protected are more im¬ 
pervious to floods than works of solid masonry. The roots of the ozier per¬ 
meate every part of the levee, binding it together so firmly that the fiercest 


torrents produce no effect upon it. 

What is there to prevent us from doing likewise? Nothing, I venture to 
say, but that mean and jealous spirit of disparagement, which opposes every 
beneficial enterprise, clogs intelligent legislation, discourages the investment 
of capital in works of public improvement, and finds its chief gratification in 
the exaggeration of obstacles and the anticipation of failure. 

The cost of reclaiming Sherman Island is estimated at fourteen dollars an 
acre. From six to eight dollars an acre is considered a liberal estimate for 
the large islands, higher up in the delta. In the construction of works of 
this kind, the Sullivan ditching machine has proved quite successful. Fifteen 
miles of levee have been thrown up by this machine on the old San Joaquin 

river, and it is considered the best work vet done. 

* 

A private association of gentlemen in San Francisco, consisting of William 
S. Chapman, Thomas W. Moore, Rev. Horatio Stebbins, and a number of" 
others,having located or purchased Grizzly Island, in Suisun Bay, commenced 
operations about a year ago, and encircled the island by a substantial em¬ 
bankment four feet high, at a cost of $80,000. The work has been com¬ 
pleted with the exception of a few small sloughs on the inner side, which will 
soon be closed. During the past summer, several thousand head of cattle, in 
a very poor condition, were conveyed to the island, and although a number 
of them were so reduced by starvation as to be unable to recover, the majority 
of them recuperated on the swamp grasses and tules, and are now in com¬ 
paratively good condition. Grizzly Island contains about 12,000 acres, and is 
considered one of the best tracts of swamp land in the State. It is admirably 
situated for cheap reclamation, being beyond ’he reach of floods, and having 
all the advantages of the tidal system of irrigation. The closing up of a 
few small sloughs will exclude the brackish water and admit an abundant 
flow of fresh water to the upper end, which can easily be diffused over the 
entire surface of the island. 

Joyce’s Island, on the inner side, is also an extremely valuable tract, and 
will soon be in excellent condition for cultivation. 

In Sutter County, a very important work has been partially accomplished— 


34 


the construction of a levee from a point near Knight’s Landing to Butte 
♦Slough, on the western bank of Feather River. When completed by an ex¬ 
tension of the line down the east bank of the Sacramento, it will reclaim and 
render fit for cultivation, in connection with its drainage and irrigating sys¬ 
tems, at least 120,000 acres of as rich land as any in the State. The cost ot 
the levee and dams, so far constructed, amounts to about $200,000. It is to 
be regretted that a party of lawless persons, supposed to be interested in pre¬ 
serving this fertile tract for a cattle range by preventing its reclamation, 
armed and disguised themselves during the first heavy rain and cut the levee 
at Butte Slough. There was no provocation whatever for the outrage. No 
damage had been done to the adjacent lands, and there was no danger of an 
overflow. It was a pure act of vandalism, for which it is hoped the perpetra¬ 
tors will be punished. The press throughout the country has been unanimous 
in condemnation of this outrage; and it is to be hoped the Legislature will, 
at its present session, pass a law making it a felony to commit such offenses 
in future. Unless capitalists who invest their money in improvements of this 
kind are protected from such lawless acts, there will be but little progress 
hereafter in California. The principle that an irresponsible minority may at 
any time destroy a great and beneficial work, approved by the great majority 
of the community, would, if suffered to pass unnoticed, strike a fatal blow at 
the root of all public improvements. The reclamation of this valuable tract, 
when completed, will add materially to the agricultural capacity of the State. 
Great credit is due to Mr. George D. Roberts, for his energy in carrying into 
effect this great enterprise. 

The Sacramento Valley Reclamation Company, of which Mr. William 
Blanding is President, and Messrs. A. H. Rose, Charles McLane and General 
Hewston are leading members, have nearly completed the reclamation of 
120,000 acres of rich swamp land on the west bank of the Sacramento River, 
commencing at Knight’s Landing. Of this tract, the company own about 
116,000 acres, and Mr. Louis A. Garnett about 10,000. A magnificent embank¬ 
ment, four feet above high water mark, has been constructed along the bank 
of the river, extending from Knight’s Landing to the Upper Sycamore Slough, 
a distance of thirty-nine miles, in accordance with plans and surveys made 
under the supervision of Gen. B. S. Alexander, Chief of the Engineer Corps 
on the Pacific Coast. The whole ground was carefully surveyed by Mr. John 
D. Hoffman, formerly Consulting Engineer at the Mare Island Navy Yard. 
The embankment has proved an effectual barrier to the highest floods ; and 
will, when thoroughly settled and cemented by roots of willows and brush¬ 
wood, be placed beyond hazard in the future. Active operations are now in 
progress to complete the embankment as far as Colusa, which will give it a 
total length of fifty miles. The cost of construction up to this date is about 
$220,000, or less than two dollars an acre for the whole amount of land so 
far reclaimed. Considerable work has yet to be done, in the way of drainage 
and intersecting dykes, before the entire tract can be considered effectually 
reclaimed, but it is not probable that the cost will exceed one dollar and a 
half an acre. This land, as shown by crops already raised on the Mormon 


35 


Settlement, fifteen miles above Kniglit’s Landing, is capable of producing an 
average of forty bushels of wheat to the acre. 

AGGREGATE RESULTS. 

Glancing for a moment over the foregoing statements, let us now assume 
that we redeem from floods, tides and droughts, 300,000 acres of rich arable 
land. With an industrious population, every acre of the soil would soon be 
made productive. 150,000 acres planted in wheat would, at an average of 
thirty bushels to the acre, yield 4,500,000 bushels—say $5,000,000. 50,000 
acres of meadow would yield in butter, cheese and milk, say $2,500,000; 
100,000 acres in tobacco, cotton, ramie, sugar, fruits, etc., say $3,000,000— 
making altogether a gross product of $10,500,000 per annum. Three thous¬ 
and industrious settlers, with their families, occupying tracts of one hundred 
acres each, could easily realize the above results. Allowing for the careful 
cultivation of each tract the labor of five hands, the gross product per hand 
would be seven hundred dollars per annum—net, say five hundred dollars ; a 
very handsome compensation. 

These of course, are very crude estimates, and may be wide of the mark. 
It cannot reasonably be doubted, however, that 300,000 acres of as rich soil 
as any in the world, thoroughly cultivated by a steady and industrious 
class of laborers, having a proprietary interest in the soil, will materially 
augment the wealth of our State. 

Let us look still farther forward, and suppose that by means of the great 
canals and irrigating systems now projected over foot-hills and broad stretches 
of arable lands, from Red Bluff to the Tahaichepa Pass, are redeemed from 
drought and rendered fit for cultivation, at all times, how is it possible to 
estimate the magnitude of the results ? With adequate labor, aided by these 
improvements, our agricultural exports could be increased within five years 
to $100,000,000 per annum. 

RESUME. 

I hope these will not be deemed inappropriate subjects for the consider¬ 
ation of your honorable body. Unlike ordinary private enterprises, limited 
in their scope, and having only an incidental bearing upon the general wel¬ 
fare, irrigation and reclamation affect directly almost every interest connected 
with the material advancement of the State. Among these may be enumer¬ 
ated : First—The promotion of immigration. Second—The direct increase of 
production and taxable property. Third—The increase of internal improve¬ 
ments and commerce. Fourth—The increase of shipping. Fifth—The in¬ 
crease of our import and export trade. Sixth—The increase of manufactures 
and various kinds of domestic industry. 

In short, it would be difficult to fix a limit to their effect upon the general 
welfare. If it be objected that these enterprises are of a private character, 
and therefore not legitimate subjects for legislative encouragement, I would 
respectfully suggest that all important enterprises must have an individual or 
limited origin. The Central Pacific Railroad is the result of individual en- 


36 


terprise, and is even now controlled by a few leading men. The principal 
steamship companies through which our trade with Mexico, South America, 
Australia and China is chiefly carried on, are owned and managed by a com- 
paratively small circle. It does not seem to me that the question is—whether 
a proposed measure will benefit a few individuals, but to what extent will it 
benefit the public at large? If it be, from its general scope and bearing, a 
measure of great public utility ; then the fact that it may prove remunerative 
to those who invest their money in it, and whose enterprise and intelligence 
are essential to its success, should not, I think, bo held as an obstacle to its 
official recognition. 

Foreign capitalists are exceedingly timid about investing money in Cali¬ 
fornia. They know but little of our resources, and have no very favorable 
opinion of the administration of our laws. Public sentiment at a distance is 
not easily changed ; the condition of things which existed in this State some 
years ago, is supposed by many intelligent people in Europe to exist still. 

When they arc invited therefore to invest millions of dollars in the pur¬ 
chase and reclamation of our alluvial lands, or in the construction of canals 
for the irrigation of the uplands, they naturally desire to obtain the strongest 
available testimony as to the safety of the investment and the profits likely 
to be realized from such an enterprise. Especially, they desire to avoid 
placing themselves in any position which might be deemed antagonistic to 
the general interests or to public sentiment on this coast. If they cannot 
enter upon the proposed work with the cordial co-operation of the citizens 
and the full support of the laws, they prefer not to undertake it. 

Trusting that a residence of twenty-two years on this coast and an active 
participation during most of that time in the advancement of measures for the 
public benefit, will be deemed a sufficient guaranty of my good faith and the 
sincerity of my interest in the progress of California, 

I remain with great respect, 


J. ROSS BROWNE. 


CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. 


THE SWAMP LAND QUESTION—HIGHLY INTERESTING REPORT OF THE COM¬ 
MITTEE—RECLAMATION AND IRRIGATION—REPEAL OF THE FENCE 
LAW URGED—ENCOURAGEMENT TO IMMIGRANTS. 

At a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco, held in that 
City on the 23d of January, 1872, the Committee to whom was referred a 
series of resolutions in relation to the proposed enterprise of the Anglo-Amer¬ 
ican Land Reclamation Company, reported as follows : 

REPORT ON SWAMP LANDS. 

Mr. Hopkins, Chairman of the Committee, read the following elaborate and 
highly interesting report upon this important subject: 

To the Chamber of Commerce of Tan Francisco : Your Committee appointed 
on the 17tli instant to examine into the subject matter of the resolutions in¬ 
troduced on that day by C. Adolphe Low, beg leave to report as follows : 

From the preamble to said resolutions, as well as from the very able and 
interesting address of Hon. J. Ross Browne to the President of the Chamber, 
we learn that an association of capitalists has been formed in England for the 
purpose of investing large sums in the purchase and reclamation of portions 
of our swamp lands, and in active measures for colonizing the same with Eu¬ 
ropean immigrants. 

The first four of the resolutions convey the idea of welcome to this institu¬ 
tion, an indorsement of its plans and an assurance of profit in the contem¬ 
plated investment. 

The fifth assures it of the protection of its property by our laws. 

The sixth recommends to the Legislature the passage of the bill now before 
it providing for the removal of present restrictions as to the sale, transfer and 
holding of lands in this State by foreigners. 

The seventh recommends the passage of an Act making it a felony to cut 
or destroy levees or embankments. 

The eighth recommends the repeakof the present Fence law. 

In addition to these there has been referred to your Committee the resolu¬ 
tion offered by C. T. Fay, recommending the creation by the Legislature of a 
State Board of Public Works, whose business it should be to devise and en¬ 
force an 




38 


UNIFORM SYSTEM OF RECLAMATION 

For our swamp lands, and to regulate tlie construction, freight-tolls and 
water-rates of canals and irrigating works. 

These topics are perhaps the most important that ever came before this 
body. They are all inseparably connected with each other ; with the devel¬ 
opment, productiveness and population of the interior of the State, and with 
the growth of the consequent commerce which must concentrate at this city. 
Though, strictly speaking, none of them are within the purview of commerce 
only, which this Chamber is supposed exclusively to represent, it must be 
borne in mind that without production there can be but very little commerce; 
that the prosperity of the latter depends wholly on that of the former; that 
city capital and effort must be largely used in developing the country. This 
Chamber, therefore, is entitled to be heard on all topics affecting the general 
business of the State, especially when, as in the present case, those topics are 
of universal and exciting interest. 

While during the ten years last past it has been evident to all that our 
agricultural wealth must ultimately be the great interest of the State, it is 
also evident that the extremes of 

DROUGHT AND FLOODS, 

Affecting large districts of the interior, impose far more than ordinary risks 
upon the business of farming, while the singular conformation of the country 
renders great bodies of our plow lands subject to the same contingencies at 
the same time. How to obviate this uncertainty of success, attributable not 
to the soil but to the topography and meteorology of the country, is the prob¬ 
lem now before us. In the great interior valleys the difficulty is to get suffi¬ 
cient water in the Summer time. In the tule lands the question is how to 
get rid of the surplus water, especially in the Winter time. Yet the surplus 
in the tules is simply the drainage from the mountains through the very 
lands that suffer most from drought. If we shall be enabled to 

AVERAGE THESE TWO EXTREMES 

By such a system of artificial works as shall store the Winter’s waters (which 
now flood the low lands while running to waste) so as to preserve them for 
the Summer uses of the farmers in the valleys, we shall at once have made 
California the garden of the United States. For if the liability to droughts 
and floods now clouding the prospects of the agriculturist could be removed, 
who does not recognize in the richness of the virgin soil the variety of its 
products, the unusual perfection of all kinds of vegetable and animal growths, 
and the equability of the climal e, the elements of a greater and cheaper pro¬ 
duction, and consequent population, than are possible in any other portion of 
our country. 

But pending the solution of this problem, it has been found impracticable 
to induce much agricultural immigration into California ; because, notwith¬ 
standing the advantages of soil and climate, the immigrant fears to settle in 


39 


a country where large districts are subject to uniform droughts, continuing 
for two or three years in succession ; while in other places, floods covering 
millions of acres at a time, are likely to destroy the improvements of whole 
neighborhoods. 

LAND MONOPOLY. 

Moreover, a great outcry lias been raised in all directions against land 
monopolists. We believe that the practice of holding large tracts of unim¬ 
proved land merely for a rise, by parties who refuse to do anything for its im¬ 
provements, is certainly a grave injury to the State, as are ail other kinds of 
speculations wherein the operator adds nothing to the value of the article 
whose price he seeks to raise. But when we contemplate the necessity for 
great public works, without which land must be practically valueless in any 
hands, the aspect of this question changes. Works of irrigation and of recla¬ 
mation on a scale commensurate with the wants of the State, cannot be con¬ 
structed at retail. To conduct such enterprise as the topography of the Sac¬ 
ramento and San Joaquin valleys requires, calls for large brain to conceive, 
large means to execute, and the ownership of large bodies of land, the profits 
of whose improvement can alone justify the enormous expenses to be in¬ 
curred. Were the laws of the State to prohibit the ownership of larger tracts 
of land than one hundred and sixty acres, they would simply provide, under 
the penalty of individual ruin, that no swamp land should be reclaimed, 
and no lands subject to drought should be irrigated. In other words, they 
would condemn the tule lands, lately proven to be the richest in the world, 
to endless solitude, and large portions of the great interior valleys to ever¬ 
lasting barrenness. 

These views, we are confident, are those of all thinking men who are con¬ 
versant with the w r ants of our State. When wholesale ownership is but a 
preliminary to the construction of improvements which are impossible to the 
small farmer, yet indispensable to the settlement and cultivation of the land ; 
and when the profit to be derived from the improvement can be realized only 
by the sale and settlement of the improved lands, then the greatest good to 
the greatest number requires that men of enterprise and capital should have 
the privilege of owning the lands as an inducement to make the improve¬ 
ment. 

We conceive, therefore, that this Chamber will but show itself equal to the 
present occasion, in extending 

THE RIGHT HAND OF WELCOME. 

To all men—coming from whence they may—who, having abundant means, 
and able to command the best engineering talent and experience, seek to 
construct such works for our benefit, and especially are such men to be re¬ 
ceived with words of encouragement (seeing that words are all they ask of us), 
wdien we remember the difficulty of making the advantage of our State as a 
home for immigrants known in the distant hives of population, where the 
representations of the thousand agents of other States, and of Australia, have 


40 


pre occupied the minds of the immigrating classes. The capitalists of Eu¬ 
rope have it in their power, if we make it their interest, to produce a decided 
effect in colonizing California, for they are men of influence in their own 
■countries, where the public good requires the depletion of the overcrowded 
population by emigration. They have 

TIIE PATRONAGE AND INFLUENCE, 

Without which no movement among people accustomed to be guided by the 
higher classes can be expected to succeed. It is the effort of the European 
holders of the railroad bonds, and State securities of Kansas, Missouri, Texas, 
and the Northwestern States that induces much of the foreign settlement of 
those States. If California can offer to those capitalists interests which would 
be promoted by immigration (and in the present instance nothing else would 
warrant the investment), we may depend upon it, their double interest excit¬ 
ing them to use their power in the premises would soon be felt in filling up 
our vast empty State with an industrious, congenial and hardy population. 
This movement has yet to be started, and it will require the diligent use of 
every known appliance to get it fairly under way—especially when we re¬ 
member that certain interior newspapers have for years opposed with a ma¬ 
lignity as short-sighted as it is injurious to the State every effort for the com¬ 
mon development which has called for large investments of capital. Foreign¬ 
ers reading the diatribes of a portion of our own press can hardly be blamed 
for neglecting to invest in, or to assist in populating, a region whose public 
•opinion, reflected, as they naturally believe it to be, in these organs, seems 
opposed to every enterprise in which they might be disposed to assist us.' 

Your Committee therefore concur in the sentiments of the first six resolu¬ 
tions referred to them. 

CUTTING LEVEES. 

The seventh resolution, relating to the passage of an Act making it a felony 
to cut or destroy a levee or embankment we think should be modified so as to 
require a malicious intention to make such an act criminal; for there may be 
•cases in which the defense of life and property may make the cutting of a 
levee a necessary act of self-defense. And here we are led to the considera¬ 
tion of Mr. Fay’s resolution touching the formation of 

A STATE HOARD, 

For the regulation of works of reclamation and irrigation. And here we 
observe: First—That this city has hitherto suffered to the extent of hun¬ 
dreds of millions of dollars through an inconvenient original survey, impos¬ 
sible grades, and impracticable and inconsistent attempts at drainage, so that 
after enduring the consequences of these blunders for twenty-two years we 
are now seeking relief by the creation of a City Board of Public Works. 

Second—That the two branches of internal improvement—to wit, reclama¬ 
tion and irrigation—now in progress, by different parties having no connec¬ 
tion with each other, bid fair to cross each other, entailing consequences 


41 


similar to tliose so long complained of in the city. Judging from the ex¬ 
perience of San Francisco, it is safe to predict that the works of these parties 
will assuredly conflict, either with the laws of nature or with each other, 
unless their work be laid out and executed in conformity to uniform and 
scientific designs. The waters of great rivers, especially in seasons of floods, 
will seek the sea. Obstructions to its natural course must change it or be 
swept away. If a channel be ten miles wide and ten feet deep in a state of 
nature, diminish its width one-lialf and you increase its depth and swift¬ 
ness in proportion. If a dam be built across a channel, it will back up the 
waters to the level of the top of the dam, let who will be flooded by it. 
Opinions even now differ irreconcilably on this subject. Where one engineer 
advises a levee, another insists on a canal. It is easy to see that if all the 
lower marsh lands are to be surrounded with such embankments as those 
already constructed, the floods will be accumulated higher up in the valley ; 
and being confined in their outlets thence to narrow channels will be likely 
to overtop all the levees at once, sweeping away everything in their course. 

It becomes us now, ere but little of the contemplated work has been com¬ 
menced, to avail ourselves of the experience of the English in India, and the 
Dutch in their country of dykes; and by uniform system and scientific calcu¬ 
lation in advance, save the losses, the hardships and contentions sure to result 
from mistakes. 


THE FENCE LAWS. 

On the subject of the eighth resolution, asking for the repeal of the present 
fence laws, this Chamber has heretofore fully expressed itself; and your Com¬ 
mittee believe that the republication of the report, adopted by this body in 
1866, might now have some effect upon the Legislature. 

Your Committee, therefore, beg leave to report back the resolutions referred 
to them, and to recommend their adoption in the following terms: 

THE RESOLUTIONS. 

Whereas, Associations have been formed in Europe, having for their ob¬ 
ject the introduction of foreign capital into the State of California, to be in. 
vested in the purchase, reclamation and colonization of marsh, swamp and 
overflowed lands, and it is deemed by the Chamber of Commerce of San 
Francisco a matter of paramount importance that the development of our 
resources should be encouraged by all legitimate means; now, therefore, 
be it 

Resolved, First—That, in the opinion of this body, the reclamation of swamp, 
marsh and overflowed lands within the limits of this State, on a large scale, 
and in a thorough and scientific manner, is an important and beneficial un¬ 
dertaking, intimately connected with the commercial interests of San Fran¬ 
cisco, as well as with the general prosperity of the State. 

Second—That a limited experience in the cultivation of our swamp lands 
has demonstrated their extraordinary capacity for the production of almost 
every crop suited to the climate; that their reclamation by means of dykes, 
D 


42 


ditches, embankments and water gates has proved to be feasible at a compar¬ 
atively small expense; that these lands have great natural advantages of 
access and cheap transportation, and will, when reclaimed, be peculiarly 
adapted to the support of a large agricultural population. 

Third—That every inducement should be held out to the agricultural 
classes of Europe to make their future homes in this State, where the advan¬ 
tages of cheap and rich land, a great variety of production, a rapidly pro¬ 
gressing railroad system, and an equable and healthy climate, present ease 
and exceptional means of wealth and comfort to settlers. 

Fourth—That capital invested in the purchase of our marsh and swamp 
lands, situated on navigable waters, at the present low prices; and in the 
reclamation, settlement and sale of such land, can scarcely fail, under judici¬ 
ous management, to prove remunerative. 

Fifth—That foreign capitalists may feel assured that their interests in Cal¬ 
ifornia will be protected by the laws of the land and their rights as thoroughly 
enforced in our Courts as those of citizens. 

MEMORIAL TO TIIE LEGISLATURE. 

Your Committee also recommend the passage of the following memorial 
to the Legislature now in session : 

To the Honorable the Senate and Assembly of the State of California: This 
memorial of the Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco respectfully 
asks : 

First—That the bill heretofore introduced in the Senate by Mr. Farley, 
entitled “Ail Act to encourage the investment of foreign capital in Cal¬ 
ifornia,” having for its object the removal of restrictions as to the sale, trans¬ 
fer and holding of land in this State by foreigners, may be enacted into a 
law. 

Second—That the bill heretofore introduced into the Senate by Mr. Beggs, 
making it a felony instead of a misdemeanor to cut, destroy or wantonly in¬ 
jure any dyke, levee or embankment made in accordance with law, may be 
worded so as to apply to such Acts only when maliciously performed, and so 
enacted into a law. 

Third—That the present fence laws may be repealed, and such laws sub¬ 
stituted therefor as will release the cultivators of the soil from the necessity 
of fencing out other people’s live stock. 

Fourth—That a law may be enacted creating a scientific commission of 
three, to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, who 
shall be intrusted with the power to supervise all works of irrigation and re¬ 
clamation in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys, so as to secure an uni. 
form scientific plan for such works, and prevent the damages, losses and con¬ 
tentions that will inevitably result from erroneous engineering or inadequate 
construction of such works. 

That said Commissioners may be appointed for the longest constitutional 
term, in order that they may be as far removed as possible from political in¬ 
fluences, and that they have also the power to regulate tolls and water rates 


43 


on all artificial water-courses constructed for freighting and irrigating pur¬ 
poses. 

Filth—That the petition of the California Immigrant Union, asking the 
Legislature for an appropriation of $30,000 per annum for the purpose of 
promoting agricultural immigration into this State from the Eastern States 
and from Europe may be granted. 

Resolved, That the President and Secretary be instructed to sign the fore¬ 
going memorial as the act of this Chamber, and to cause a sufficient number 
of copies for the use of both Houses of the Legislature to be printed and for¬ 
warded to each member. 

All of which is respectfully submitted. 

C. T. HOPKINS, 

WM. T. COLEMAN, 

J. T. DEAN. 

On motion of Mr. Friedlander, the report was adopted as the sense of the 
Chamber. 


VIEWS OF GEN. ALEXANDER. 

The President called upon Gen. Alexander, who was present, to give his 
views on the subject. Gen. Alexander said that he was unprepared at this 
time to give his views at length. In early life it had been his fortune to be 
among the rice fields of the South, and while there became familiar with the 
reclamation of land. When reclamation was commenced in this State, he 
availed himself of the information he had involuntarily picked up in the 
South, which led him to a general investigation of the whole subject of re¬ 
claiming the lands on the Sacramento River and Lower San Joaquin. He 
was satisfied that nearly all the overflowed lands on the points named could 
be thoroughly reclaimed. Two years ago he wrote a letter to Wm. Blanding 
stating what kind of legislation was necessary. He then suggested that a 
Commission be appointed to investigate the whole subject, ascertain the 
highest floods ever known here, form a scheme for reclamation, and to frame 
a law for the present Legislature. This was that all might act cautiously 
and harmonize conflicting interests. It was not too late now; it was the 
only way they could reclaim successfully to prevent a clash of conflicting 
interests. The Commission should have a veto power, but not so as to check 
enterprise. This subject was also connected with that of irrigation, but that 
Avas not his specialty. We had as great a reservoir here as there was in the 
world, if Ave only hold back our Avater properly until it is Avanted. 

Mr. StoAv inquired Avhat the increase of the fioAv would be, by the system 
proposed. 

Gen. Alexander replied that it would not be serious ; the increased velocity 
would be small; the effect would be to make the stream deeper, and shorten 
the duration of floods. 

Mr. Coleman asked whether it would not drench the river and make it 
more navigable, to which the General replied affirmatively. 



REPORT ON MARSH LANDS. 


SAN FRANCISCO BAY RECLAMATION. 

The scheme of reclaiming the marsh lands around San Francisco Bay is 
one that, although never before brought before the public, has often been 
spoken of and commented upon by owners of marsh lands around the bay, 
and by landed proprietors generally, but has been passed over as something 
to be done years hence. It is true that the marsh lands are naturally reclaim¬ 
ing themselves by the accumulation of debris and vegetable deposit, brought 
down by the rains of every winter, and earth and other material by the large 
creeks that empty, not only into the bay, but by means of the small sloughs 
over the marsh. This accumulation has now brought the surface to about 
high water mark, and it is time to engage engineering to finish what it 
would take years to do in the ordinary course of nature. 

The time to begin is when a small outlay will solve the great problem of 
throwing a vast tract of land into the market as arable land, and the very 
finest kind of land for the growth of vegetables or grain, and we consider 
that that time has now arrived, which we can prove by a complete statement 
and description of the works necessary, and the cost of the same, and only 
ask the public to glance at the figures and the map attached hereto, and we 
think they will be fully satisfied that this undertaking is not a wild specula¬ 
tion, but a plain engineering work that all may examine into—the result 
speaks for itself. 

We say the time has now arrived and that we gain nothing by waiting, 
for our plan of reclaiming the marsh lands provides precisely for what 
would have to be done years hence. An embankment has to be made, and 
the mouth of sloughs that let in the salt water stopped up, so that the only 
gain by waiting is the probability of labor becoming cheaper. 

We need not draw the attention of the public to advantages of dry land 
bordering this magnificent Bay, in place of thousands of acres of untraversa- 
ble marsh, and to good roads leading thereto, terminating at wharves and 
landings; nor need we say that the company that takes this work in hand 
will derive a handsome return for the necessary outlay of capital in com¬ 
paratively a limited space of time. We will, therefore, enter at once into the 
details of the scheme, which are not gotten up roughly, but are the result 
of careful examinations, actual borings, and the experience gained in making 
surveys and estimates for swamp land reclamation works in other parts of 
the State, which, at the present moment, are actually being executed, and 
also in the construction of roads, etc., on these same marshes. 



45 


The tract proposed to be reclaimed, commences at a point a short distance 
south of San Bruno Point, and widening out by Millbrae, it converges again 
to a point near the Shell Park Race Track. 

Commencing again west of Coyote Hill or San Mateo Point, and from 
thence, south, passing Belmont, Redwood City, Ravenswood, extending to 
Alviso, thus rounding the southern part of the bay ; thence northerly, taking 
in Mowry’s, Mayhew’s and Johnson’s Landings, by Union City, and as far as 
Allen’s Landing, which forms the southern boundary of the salt works. 

The above description includes marsh land, in all, amounting to about 
48,150 acres, which is divided into four main sections, viz: 

Bari Bari Section, from San Bruno Point to a point west of San Mateo 
Point, containing 2,540 acres. 

San Mateo Section, from 1 mile west of San Mateo Point to Ravenswood 
wharf, containing 17,679 acres. 

Santa Clara Section, from Ravenswood wharf to Main Slough, at head of 
bay, containing 10,566 acres. 

Contra Costa Section, from Main Slough, at head of bay, to near Allen’s 
Landing, containing 17,408 acres—averaging under $10 per acre for cost of 
reclaiming. 

The plan proposed to be carried out, is to throw up an embankment 15 feet 
wide on the top, and 5 feet above the level of the marsh, which is about 
high water; and carry this embankment round the whole bay, and following 
the edge of the marsh, as shown on the map, attached hereto, by a double 
red line, and called in the estimate first-class embankment. 

Each main section is divided into minor sections, which are bounded by 
streams that must have an outlet into the bay, this is arranged for by an em¬ 
bankment 3 feet wide at the top, and 5 feet above the level of the marsh, 
formed on each side of the creek, and called in the estimate, second-class em¬ 
bankment. 

The intermediate sloughs that require no outlet, and can be dammed up, 
are done so, by means of sheet piling, and an embankment of the same 
width, and corresponding to the first-clas3 embankment, and shown on map 
by yellow lines. 


The estimate of the above works are as follows : 

Bari Bari Section, 2,540 acres, first-class embankment, 

106,260 cubic yards at 20 cents.$21,252 00 

Second-class embankment, 15,980 cub. yds. at 20 cts.. 3,196 00 

Draining sloughs, embank’t, 17,446 cub. yds. at 20 cts. 3,489 20 

Draining sloughs, timber, 78,000 feet at $40. 3,120 00 

45 -$31,057 20 

San Mateo Section, 17,679 acres, first-class embank¬ 
ment, 344,652 cubic yards at 20 cents.$68,930 40 

Second-class embankment, 77,180 cub. yds. at 20 cts. 15,436 00 
Draining sloughs, embank’t,120,501 cub. yds. at 20 cts. 24,100 20 

Draining sloughs, timber, 596,160 feet at $40. 23,846 40 

° * -$132,313 00 








46 


Santa Clara Section, 10,566 acres, first-class embank¬ 


ment, 188,265 cubic yards at 20 cents.$37,652 10 

Second-class embankment, 106,080 cub. yds. at 20 cts. 21,216 00 
Draining slougbs, embank’t, 82,478 cub. yds. at 20 cts. 16,495 60 

Draining slougbs, timber, 384,680 feet at $40. 15,387 20 

-$90,750 90 

Contra Costa Section, 17,408 acres, first-class embank¬ 
ment, 351,120 cubic yards at 20 cents.$70,224 00 

Second-class embankment, 123,760 cub. yds. at 20 cts. 24,752 00 
Draining slougbs, embank’t, 91,242 cub. yds. at 20 cts. 18,248 40 

Draining slougbs, timber, 424,408 feet at $40. 16,976 32 

-$130,200 72 

Making a total cost of works. $384,321 82 


Land that will only give a fair crop, witb tbe advantages that tbis would 
bave from direct communication with tbe city markets, by boat or by rail> 
will bring a rent of $6 per acre, wliicb is interest on land worth $100 per 
acre; but to be under rather than over in our calculations, say tbe land to be 
worth when reclaimed $100 per acre, which will make a total of 48,150 acres 
at $100, making $4,815,000. 

The marsh round the bay is divided up into sections, which have been 
nearly all taken up, although many have forfeited their claims by non-pay. 
ment of taxes. 

That part not taken up, or forfeited to Government, can be bought at a low 
rate per acre. The balance can be arranged for as the Association think fit, 
and in all probability the whole of the land can be placed in the hands of 
the Association at an average cost of $15 to $20 per acre; but we will call it 
$15, which will now give us an opportunity of coming to the end of our cal¬ 
culations with the following result: 


48,150 acres reclaimed land at $100. $4,815,000 

48,150 acres taken up and bought say at $15. $722,250 

Cost of works reclaiming. 384,322 

Engineering and legal expenses say. 25,000 


Total expenses.$1,131,572 

Balance profit. 3,683,428 

-$4,815,000 


JOHN D. HOFFMANN and 
ALFRED POETT, 


Civil Engineers, 


728 Montgomery Street, San Francisco. 



















47 


Letter of B. S. ALEXANDER, Lieut. Col. Engineers, Brevet Brigadier 
General U. S. Army, Engineer in Chief of the United States for 
the Pacific Coast, in reply to letter of HON. W. S. CAMPBELL. 

San Francisco, Cal., December 12tli, 1871. 

Brevet Brigadier General B. S. Alexander, Lieutenant Colonel of Engineers, 
U. S. Army. 

Dear Sir :—A preliminary organization lias been formed in London for tlie 
purpose of establishing a Company of English Capitalists to purchase and 
reclaim some of the rich alluvial lands now liable to inundation, situated on 
and near the Bay of San Francisco, the Sacramento River and the Tulare 
Lake. 

The lands in question are considered to be among the most desirable of 
their class in the State, and consist principally of Mr. Beard’s tract of 20,000 
acres, on the southeast side of the Bay of San Francisco, Coryell’s tract ad¬ 
joining of 14,000 acres, the Vallejo tract, Napa Creek, of 15,000 acres, Grizzly 
Island of 10,000 acres, Blanding and Robert’s lands on the Sacramento River 
of 107,000 acres, and the Tulare Lake and Kern lands about 90,000 acres. 

After a careful inspection of these lands by Mr. Eastwick, M. P., Mr. 
Dalrymple Ilay, Civil Engineer, and myself, and with all the facts we have 
been able to gather in respect to them and the costs and benefits in similar 
enterprises on a smaller scale, already tested here, we are fully satisfied in 
our own minds of the advantages of the present undertaking. Believing it 
to be an enterprise involving in its success very material advantage to the 
people of California, it would be highly satisfactory if our own views were 
supported by the opinion or experience of men like yourself whose long 
residence and intimate knowledge of this country, must enable them to form 
a better judgment of the real value of such a scheme than could be acquired 
by strangers within the scope of an ordinary visit. In this view and in 
furtherance of the objects of so important and beneficial an enterprise, I hope 
you will not refuse to give us the advantages of your opinion in such detail 
as your time may permit, or in any general terms most convenient to you, 
and very much oblige 

Yours very respectfully, 

[Signed] W. S. CAMPBELL. 


San Francisco, Cal., December 19tli, 1871. 

W. S. Campbell, Esq., San Francisco, Cal. 

Dear Sir :— I duly received your note of the twelfth instant, asking my 
opinion of certain lands in this State, which you say it is in contemplation to 
purchase and reclaim by a company of English capitalists. 

In reply, I have the pleasure to inform you that I am familiar with the 
character of most of the overflowed and swamp lands on the interior waters 
connected with the Bay of San Francisco, and also on the borders of the 
Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. 



48 


The “ Tule ” lands at the delta of these two rivers I have made a special 
study, and examined them carefully, for weeks at a time, with a view of in¬ 
forming myself as to the best method of reclaiming them. 

Speaking in general terms, I may say that all of these lands, including 
those which you enumerated, have greatly increased in value within a few 
years. They have doubled and trebled, and some of them have quadrupled 
in value within the last five years, and yet only a very small portion of them 
have been reclaimed and reduced to a state of cultivation, because the at¬ 
tention of the people of this State has only recently been called to the possi¬ 
bility of their reclamation, to their enormous fertility, and to the fact that 
their general cultivation will relieve the State from the effects of drought. 
For if all the lands having water communication with San Francisco were 
properly cultivated, their products would feed the State, and leave a large 
4 margin for exportation. 

I think there can be no doubt in any reflecting mind that these lands will 
go on increasing in value as the population of the State increases, and most 
likely in a greater proportion. And that the population of this State is des¬ 
tined to increase, in a rapid ratio, we have evidence in her past history, in her 
genial climate, her fertile soil, and its capacity for varied and rich productions, 
her wealth in mineral resources, her exhaustless water from the Sierras for 
irrigation, mining, and at no distant day, for manufacturing purposes; her 
commercial advantages, and the fact that a railroad has already been built 
across the continent to connect her with the older portion of the United 
States. 

To be more specific: I will say that I think the overflowed tide lands of 
which you speak, Mr. Beard’s tract, and the Coryell’s tract on the Bay of San 
Francisco, as well as all the other tide lands on this bay, are destined, at no 
distant day, to become very valuable. Their complete reclamation is entirely 
practicable and at a small cost. The water of the bay only rises over these 
lands to the depth of one, or at most two feet, even in the highest storm 
tides. They are in no danger from floods, for floods in the rivers have no 
perceptible effect on the height of the water in the Bay of San Francisco. A 
dike therefore on the bay side, of an average height of four feet above the 
surface of the ground, will afford complete protection against even storm 
tides. 

When this land is once relieved from salt water, it may be freshened suffi¬ 
cient for grasses in a single season, and for grain and vegetable gardens in 
two years. This I know from experience. Fresh water for this purpose and 
for irrigation, may be obtained from artesian wells at no very great depth on 
the ground, or the waters of the Alameda and Coyote Creeks may be allowed 
to flood these lands two or three times during the rainy seasons for a year or 
two, or until all the soil is thoroughly leached, and the salts now impregnat¬ 
ing it are dissolved and carried into the bay by the outflowing waters. 

The soil is alluvium, and doubtless of the very best quality to enable this 
district to be made a region of gardens and meadows. Then, from the facil¬ 
ities of transportation, both by water carriage and by railroads, to this city,. 


49 


there can be no doubt that the land would advance to a very high value in a 
single year. It will certainly be much more valuable than the adjoining up¬ 
lands, at least for agricultural purposes, for it will be greatly more productive, 
because being low it can always be irrigated. For dairy purposes alone it 
will doubtless always command a very high price. This city would furnish 
a market for the products of the dairies. But in looking to the future value 
of these lands tor this or for other products, it should not be forgotten (in case 
of competition in this city and in Oakland by products from the fresh water 
tide lands of the Sacramento and the San Joaquin Rivers), that the shores of 
San Francisco Bay immediately adjoining these lands on the line of the rail¬ 
roads, if the progress already made in their settlement during the past few 
years is to be taken as an indication of their future settlement, point to a 
dense population at an early day, affording therefore an unfailing market for 
all their productions. 

What I have said about the prospective value of the overflowed lands 
around the Bay of San Francisco, applies to a great extent to the Vallejo 
tract, on Napa Creek, and to Grizzly Island, in Suisun Bay. They will be 
easily reclaimed, for they are not subject to the river floods ; the dikes will 
not be expensive ; fresh water can be obtained to leach away the salts ; water 
communication with San Francisco and Vallejo (destined to become a large 
town) is perfect, and all their productions will command paying prices, so 
that, when reclaimed, these lands will also be very valuable. 

In reference to the Blanding and Robert’s tracts, of which you speak, I 
will observe that you already have a copy of a report which I made to Mr. 
Louis Garnett and the gentlemen associated with him, about the “ Blanding 
tract,” dated February 18tli, 1869, in which my views as to the best method 
of its reclamation are given in some detail. 

Since that time the works I then proposed have been built, at least the 
greater portion of them have been. How well the work has been done, I do 
not know, for I have not seen it. 

When this land is once reclaimed, there can be no doubt of its immediate 
value for agricultural purposes. The soil is rich alluvium, and nearly all of 
it is ready for the plow, without clearing. To make this land what it ought 
1*0 be however, the reclamation should be complete, against all possible floods. 
The land ought to be covered with farms, farmhouses, orchards and gardens* 
To make these things possible the settlers upon it must be relieved from all 
danger from floods, as well as from all apprehensions of danger, for appre¬ 
hension of clanger in a case like this is nearly as damaging to the financial 
success of the undertaking as danger itself. 

I have no doubt of the entire practicability of completely reclaiming the 
whole of the “ Blanding” as well as the “Robert’s” tract opposite, within 
very reasonable limits of expense, by building the levees high enough and 
strong enough, so as to keep the water of the Sacramento River within the 
dikes or levees. These may be high enough now, but if not, they should be 
strengthened. Of course, no money ought to be spent on them that can be 
saved, but to insure the immediate market value of these lands not a dollar 
ought to be saved at the expense of success. 


50 


As to tlie “ Robert’s tract,” it is mucli like the “Blanding tract.” More 
levee in proportion to the area will have to be constructed, and I think a part 
of it will have to be heavier; but on the other hand this tract has the ad¬ 
vantage that all of it, or nearly all of it, can be irrigated in dry seasons by 
water taken from the Feather River, a short distance above. 

I cannot speak understanding^ of my own knowledge, of the “Tulare 
Lake ” and “ Kern Lands,” for I have never seen them. From all the testi¬ 
mony I can get from those acquainted with them however, I have no doubt 
of their easy reclamation, their productiveness and consequent enhanced 
value at an early day. 

I hope the above opinion may prove satisfactory to you. If, however, there 
are any special points in reference to these lands, or to the best method of 
reclaiming them, about which you may desire my views, I hope you will not 
hesitate to command them. 

Very respectfully your obedient servant, 

[Signed] B. S. ALEXANDER, 

Lt. Col. Engineers, 
Brevt. Brig. Gen. U. S. A. 


Letter from the HON. MILTON S. LATHAM, ex-Governor of California, 
ex-Unite(l States Senator, and Resident Manager of tlie London and 
San Francisco Bank, in reply to a letter of inquiry from HON. E. B. 
EASTWICK, C. B. M. P., etc., etc. 

San Francisco, Cal., 14th December, 1871. 
The Hon. E. B. Eastwick, C. B. M. P., etc., etc., London. 

Dear Sir: —I have given careful consideration to the contents of your 
favor of the 23rd ultimo, and it affords me pleasure to furnish you with such 
information as I possess on the subject of your proposed enterprise. 

The low alluvial lands of California derive a special value from the pecu¬ 
liarities of our climate. There are only two rivers of any considerable 
magnitude within the limits of the State : the Sacramento, flowing from the 
north, and the San Joaquin from the south. These, with their tributaries, 
have their sources in the Sierra Nevada and Coast Range mountains, and 
drain the great valleys of the Sacramento and San Joaquin, debouching into 
Suisun Bay and ultimately flowing through the Straits of Carquines into the 
Bay of San Francisco. The ordinary duration of the rainy season is from 
November to March. Sometimes the rainfall of winter, aided by the melting 
snows of the Sierras in spring, furnishes a sufficient supply of water to insura 
abundant crops, but ordinarily the water supply is deficient. The summer 
months are dry and cloudless, and the uplands soon become parched. Fre¬ 
quently a period of eight months elapses, during which the earth is not 
moistened by rain, though there are dews and fogs near the coast which 
mitigate the severity of the drought. When the rain supply is deficient for 




51 


two or three years in succession our agricultural interests suffer severely, and 
many thousand cattle perish from thirst and starvation. Of late it has become 
manifest that the remedy lies in the adoption of a system of irrigation for 
the uplands, and in the reclamation and irrigation of the low lands. All the 
water furnished during the winter must he saved and utilized. 

Attention has recently been directed to the swamp and marsh lands situ¬ 
ated in the valleys of the Sacramento and San Joaquin, and in the delta 
formed by the junction of the two rivers. Experiments made in the plant¬ 
ing of wheat, have resulted most satisfactorily. Enormous crops have been 
produced; ranging, in some instances, as high as sixty, seventy and eighty 
bushels to the acre. The extraordinary fertility of these lands has been es¬ 
tablished beyond question. With such testimony before me, I cannot doubt 
that an investment made in the purchase and reclamation of these lands, 
must, under ordinary circumstances, prove renumerative. 

With respect to the particular tracts, to which you call my attention, I have 
traveled over most of them during my long residence in California, and con¬ 
sider them quite equal to any lands in the State, indeed, I know of no richer 
lands, either in California or elsewhere. 

The salt marshes situated on the navigable waters of the bay, surrounded 
by growing towns, and in close proximity to San Francisco, must, in the 
natural order of events, become exceedingly valuable in the future. When 
reclaimed, they will undoubtedly be in great demand for garden, grazing 
and dairy purposes. 

A network of railways is rapidly concentrating around the shores of the 
bay. Our commerce with Asia, Mexico, South America and the various 
ports of the Pacific, is steadily increasing; our manufactures are assuming 
importance, and our mining and agricultural interests, are in a prosperous 
condition. It is safe to predict, that our progress will be onward, and that 
investments made in lands, at the present low prices, around the shores of 
the bay, or on any of our navigable waters, will be exempt from the risk of 
loss, or permanent depreciation. 

California possesses a temperate and healthful climate. The great desid¬ 
eratum is population. While Great Britian contains 225 inhabitants to the 
square mile, England alone, 332, Belgium 388, and the States of Germany, 
from 200 to 300; on the whole Pacific slope, comprising eight States and 
Territories, with an aggregate area of 903,019 square miles, contains less 
than 900,000 inhabitants, or a fraction less than 1 to the square mile. The 
area of California is 154,116 square miles ; population (estimated) 570,000, or 
a fraction less than 4 to the square mile. 

With such unlimited resources as we possess, agricultural and mineral, it 
is not too much to say that this State alone, is capable of supporting a popu¬ 
lation equal in density to any of the States ot Europe. 

In view of the direct relation of your enterprise to immigration and settle¬ 
ment, I cannot but believe that it will prove, not only profitable to those 
whose capital will be invested in it, but of incalculable advantage to the 


52 


State. Judiciously conducted, I see no reason to doubt that it will be one of 
the safest and most lucrative enterprises ever inaugurated on this coast. 

In relation to the titles, I can only say that the General Government, by 
Act of Congress, 28tli September, 1850, granted to the State of California the 
swamp and overflowed lands within its boundaries, and the State by subse¬ 
quent legislation authorized the sale of these lands to private individuals. 
There have been disputes as to the segregation of the upland from the swamp 
lands; but under a recent decision of the Secretary of the Interior, the 4th 
Section of the Act of Congress of July 23d, 1866, to quiet titles in California, 
secures to the State, as swamp and overflowed, all lands represented as such 
on approved plats of the United States Surveys, made prior to July, 1866, or 
thereafter—so that in all cases where the Federal and State laws have been 
complied with, and no adverse claims exist, the title to these lands is perfect. 
Usually they are held either by the original locators, or by first or second 
transfers. The examination of titles, therefore, will be a simple matter. The 
company’s solicitor should of course carefully investigate all matters relating 
to title before any payment of purchase money is made. 

In conclusion, I am happy to be able to express my entire faith in the 
soundness and legitimacy of your scheme. I believe it to be safe and, under 
proper management, nearly certain to be lucrative. So far as my duties will 
permit I shall take great pleasure in promoting your object. 

Wishing you success, I am, dear sir, very truly yours, 

(Signed) MILTON S. LATHAM. 


[From “Draining for Profit and Draining for Health,” by Geo. E. Waring, Jr., Engineer of the 

Drainage of Central Park, New York. ] 

THE RECLAIMING OF SALT MARSHES. 

Hundreds of thousands of acres that might be cheaply reclaimed, and made 
our most valuable and most salubrious lands, are abandoned to the inroads 
of the sea; fruitful only in malaria and mosquitos, always a dreary waste, 
and often a grave annoyance. ***** **** 

The inherent wealth of the land is locked up, and all of its bad effects are 
produced, by the water with which it is constantly soaked or overflowed. 
Let the waters of the sea be excluded, and a proper outlet for the rain-fall 
and the upland wash be provided—both of which objects may, in a great 
majority of cases, be economically accomplished—and this land may become 
the garden of the continent. Its fertility will attract a population, (especially 
in the vicinity of large towns,) which could no where else live so well nor so 
easily. 

The manner in which these salt marshes were formed may be understood 
from the following account of the “ Great Levels of the Fens,” of the eastern 
coast of England, which is copied from the Prize Essay of Mr. John Algernon 
Clarke, written for the Royal Agricultural Society, in 1846. 


53 


The process is not, of course, always the same, nor are the exact influences 
which made the English Fens, generally, operating in precisely the same 
manner here, but the main principle is the same, and the lesson taught by 
the improvement of the Fens is perfectly applicable in our case. 

“ This great level extends itself into the six counties of Cambridge, Lin¬ 
coln, Huntington, Northampton, Suffolk and Norfolk, being bounded by the 
highlands of each. It is about seventy miles in length, and varies from 
twenty to forty miles in breadth, having an area of more than 680,000 acres. 
Through this vast extent of flat country, there flow six large rivers, with 
their tributary streams, namely: the Ouse, the Cam, the Neue, the Welland, 
the Glen, and the Witham. 

“ These were, originally, natural channels for conveying the upland waters 
to the sea, and whenever a heavier downfall of rain than usual occurred, and 
the swollen springs and rivulets caused the rivers to overflow, they must 
necessarily have overflowed the land to a great extent. 

“ This, however, was not the principal cause of the inundation of the Fens ; 
these rivers were not allowed a free passage to the ocean, being thus made 
incapable of carrying off even the ordinary amount of upland water, which, 
consequently, flowed over the land. The obstruction was two-fold ; first, the 
outfalls became blocked up by the deposits of silts from the sea waters, which 
accumulated to an amazing thickness. The well known instances of boats 
found in 1635, eight (8) feet below the Wirbeck River, and the smith’s forge 
and tools found at Skirbeck Shoals, near Boston, buried with silt sixteen feet 
deep, show what an astonishing quantity of sediment formerly choked up the 
mouth of these great rivers. 

“ But the chief liinderance caused by the ocean arose from the tide rushing 
twice every day for a great distance up these channels, driving back the fresh 
waters, and overflowing them, so that the whole level became deluged with 
deep water, and was, in fact, one great bay. 

“ In considering the state of this region as it first attracted the enterprise 
of man to its improvement, we are to conceive a vast, wild morass, with only 
small detached portions of cultivated soil, or islands, raised above the general 
inundation; a most desolate picture when contrasted with its present state 
of matchless fertility.” 

Salt marshes are formed of the silty deposits of rivers and of the sea. The 
former bring down vegetable mould and fine earth from the uplands, and the 
latter contribute sea weeds and grasses, sand and shells, and millions of animal, 
culse, which born for life in salt water, only die and are deposited with the 
other matters at those points, when from admixture with the fresh flow of 
the river, the water ceases to be suitable for their support. 

It is estimated that these animalculae alone are the chief cause of the ob¬ 
structions at the mouths of the rivers of Holland, which retard their flow, 
and cause them to spread over the flat country adjoining their banks. 

It is less important, however, for the purposes of this chapter, to consider 
the manner in which salt marshes are formed, than to discuss the means by 
which they may be reclaimed and made available for the uses of agriculture. 


54 


[From United States Agricultural Report for. 1870—by Jerome J. Collins, Civil Engineer of 

Hudson City, N. J. ] 

A GLANCE AT THE HISTORY OF RECLAMATION. 

If we glance back over the many centuries tlie brave inhabitants of the 
Netherlands have held their fertile country against the ocean, after rescuing 
it from the waters, we must be struck with admiration at such an instance of 
a nation’s perseverance. The Hollanders found their country a morass ; they 
now present it a picture of fertility and abundance, and we must not forget 
that, though they worked hard at their national defenses against the ocean, 
they were not spared the horrors of war by their neighbors. The country 
they strove to rescue from the sea became, on account of its position, the 
battle-field on which many European quarrels were decided, and the inhabit¬ 
ants were often compelled to cast aside the spade and grasp the sword in de¬ 
fense of their lives and property. 

The periodical overflowing of the Nile to uncertain limits necessitated the 
controlling of the waters within defined boundaries, and this control was 
most undoubtedly exercised by means of embankments. 

The Phoenicians—the people of Tyre and the ancient sea-ports of the East > 
the Greeks and Romans erected extensive works on their sea coast to protect 
their cities and ships from ocean storms and foreign enemies, and no doubt 
they inclosed low-lying lands in many instances for the purpose. The Romans, 
during their occupation of Britain, raised immense lines of embankments at 
several points along the coast, the remains of which are still in existence. 
In fact, all nations, as they advanced in civilization, seem to have recognized 
in reclamation a means of extending the area of land to be distributed among 
the people without necessitating an emigration of surplus population. 

This has been the case in India and China, where the dense population 
manages to accommodate itself to the limits of those countries, and it is only 
within the last few years that we have seen any signs of a movement by 
these people to other countries. 

The original settlers of the Netherlands were the descendants of those 
wandering tribes whose emergence from their homes in the North heralded 
the downfall of the Roman empire, and laid the foundations of the nation¬ 
alities which at present checker the map of Europe. 

The first steps toward erecting barriers against the tidal overflow, in Hol¬ 
land, are stated to have been taken, in or about the second century of the 
Christian era. It is probable that vanguards of the great army of invasion, 
which in later times overrun Europe from the north, had begun to move 
forward, and occupy, in small bodies, the country lying along the northern 
coast. 

As the population increased, and the groups of mud huts grew into large 
cities, the necessity for placing under cultivation more extensive areas of 
land became imperative. The more valuable these settlements grew to the 
people, the more desirous were they to guard them against destruction by 
the sea, and the attention of the government and people was directed to the 


55 


general and permanent embanking of tlie whole coast. How they have suc¬ 
ceeded we all know. The country which was once a desolate marsh, is now 
a garden. Visitors passing through it acknowledge that in no part of the 
world is scientific agriculture better understood, or applied, although the 
fields and dwellings, are, in many places, twenty feet below the level of the 
sea. It was not alone necessary to embank against the sea, but also against 
the waters of some of the great rivers, whose sources are to be found in the 
very heart of Europe, and which would overflow all the low land they trav¬ 
erse, had not the precaution of confining them to their natural channels been 
taken by the Hollanders. 

Many works have been written which give detailed descriptions of the 
manner in which the dikeing of the Netherlands was carried on. The 
foundation of the work was laid by nature. The superstructure is the work 
of man. Along the coast, exposed to the northwestern storms, a bank of 
sand was washed up by the action of the waves, and a natural barrier was 
erected against the incursion of the tidal waves. A belt of wood which 
grew along the coast, and against which the sand w r as heaped, assisted the 
early toilers in their labors, by affording both shelter and material. This 
wood has since disappeared to a great extent, in the constant repairs, render¬ 
ed necessary by the action of the waves in stormy weather. 

Beyond strengthening and connecting these mounds or banks of sand, and 
securing the lands in the immediate neighborhood of the ocean from tidal 
overflow, little was done in the beginning on the main embankment along 
the coast, while the river banks were left wholly exposed. The great work 
once initiated, however, it has progressed steadily to the present day, and we 
find that after a struggle, lasting many centuries, the energy and persever¬ 
ance of man have wrested a kingdom from the sea. 

Writers on the subject of the early condition of Holland, tell us that the 
country was covered with lakes, varying in size, which have been drained 
and converted into fruitful farms. 

The most important operation, lately and successfully completed, is the 
draining of the Haarlem Lake, which covered an area of about 45,000 acres. 
A description of this work was given in the report of the Department of Ag¬ 
riculture for 18G0. 

Extensive tracts on the east coast of England, called the Fen country, have 
been embanked and drained, and added to the cultivable land of that sec¬ 
tion. As many as 680,000 acres of fen [have been reclaimed, and the works 
rival those of Holland in extent. 

The Encyclopedia, Britannica says: “ This fen country has for centuries 
been the scene of drainage operations on a stupendous scale. The whole 
surface of the great basin of the fens is lower than the sea, the level varying 
from four to sixteen feet below high water mark in the German ocean. The 
difficulty in draining this flat tract is increased from the circumstance that 
the ground is highest near the shore, and fall inward toward the foot ot the 
slope. These inland and lower grounds consist of a spongy peat, which has 
a natural tendency to retain water. The rivers and streams which flow from 


56 


the higher inlands discharge upon the level grounds, and originally found 
their way in the broad and shallow estuary of the wash, obstructed in all 
directions by bars and sand-banks. These upland waters being now caught 
at their point of entrance on the fens, are confined within strong artificial 
banks, and so guided straight seaward, and are thus restrained from flooding 
the low grounds, and by their concentration and momentum assist in scour¬ 
ing out the silt from the narrow channel to which they are confined. The 
tidal waters are at the same time fenced out by sea-banks, which are provided 
at certain intervals with sluice-doors, by which the water escape at ebb tide. 
When this does not provide such a drainage as to admit of cultivation, the 
water is lifted mechanically by wind or steam mills into the main aque¬ 
ducts.” ********* 

“In the district called Marsh, in Norfolk, ex-tending between the Ouse and 
the Neue, in that called South Holland, in Lincolnshire, stretching between 
the Neue and Weland, northward of Spaulding, and also northeast of Boston • 
there are considerable tracts of marine clay soil. In Marshfield this is chiefly 
arable land, producing large crops of wheat and beans, but in Lincolnshire 
it forms exceedingly fine grazing land. This tract lies within the old Roman 
embankment by which the district was first defended from the ocean. Out¬ 
side this barrier are the proper marsh lands, which have been reclaimed in 
portions at successive periods, and are still intersected in all directions by 
ranges of banks. The extraordinary feature in this tract is, that the surface 
outside the Roman bank is three or four feet higher than on the inside, and 
the level of each new enclosure is more elevated than the previous one. The 
land rises step by step as the coast is approached, so that the most recently 
reclaimed land is often twelve and sometimes eighteen feet higher than the 
lowest fen land in the interior, the drainage from which must, nevertheless, 
be conveyed through these elevated marshes to the sea.” 

These extensive works are represented by many hundreds of miles of river 
embankments, and the sea coast line embanked, exceeds one hundred and 
thirty miles in length. 

This fen land, once, like that of Holland, a wild marshy tract, impassable 
to man or beast, is now a fertile farm, rich in agricultural products, and 
inhabited by a healthy and wealthy population. 

Another instance of successful reclamation is to be found in England : the 
Bedford Level, called after the Earl of Bedford, who, in the year 1634, ex¬ 
pended over £100,000, to reclaim these lands, and whose son completed the 
work at an additional cost of £300,000. These lands have since that time 
been kept perfectly free of water, by means of wind mills and other pump¬ 
ing engines. 

Extensive drainage operations have been carried on in many parts of Eu¬ 
rope, particularly in France and Italy. 

The celebrated Pontine marshes near Rome, are mentioned by early his¬ 
torians, as a source of great danger to the public health; and several unsuc 
cessful attempts were made to reclaim them. The popes at different periods 
renewed these efforts, and their success, though partial, proved that the 
drainage could be effected with sufficient capital. 


57 


In Ireland immense tracts of peat bog have been drained and converted 
into arable land. The bog of Allen is an extensive area of peat soil, exten¬ 
ding into several counties, and covering many thousand acres. In the south¬ 
ern part of Ireland, along the rivers and shores of the main estuaries, large 
areas of alluvial deposits have been enclosed by embankments, and a rich 
soil made available for cultivation. 

The cotton lands in the valley of the Mississippi, are exceedingly fertile, 
when properly protected by levees from the periodical overflow of the river. 
The construction and maintenance of these levees, are often the subject of 
discussion in Congress, and it would seem proper that the nation’s represent¬ 
atives should interest themselves in what forms the only protection to the 
agricultural interest of several of the States of the Union. 

In Canada, the question of reclaiming the marsh land, is receiving consid¬ 
erable attention, from both the government and the people. Extensive 
works are about to be commenced, with a view to these reclamations; and 
vast areas of fertile soil will be added to the lands of the New Dominion. 

In this country the question of utilizing marshes, has not yet attained the 
importance it deserves. 

In the neighborhood of New York, a considerable tract of land, known as 
the Newark meadows, lying between Newark and Paterson range of hills, 
on the west side, and the Palisade ridge of Bergen hill on the east side, has 
been embanked, and otherwise drained and reclaimed, within the past two 
years. 

-- 

WILL RECLAMATION PAY? 

A question of consideration is, will reclamation of marsh lands pay those 
who invest their capital in such undertakings ? When we invest our money 
in that which is perishable, stealable, or depreciable in value to such an 
extent as to become positively worthless, we have an uncertain security for 
the principal invested, and profit is doubtful. We can invest in that which 
is itself a standard of value, such as the gold coinage of the country. In 
this case the security is good in the thing itself, but the profits are uncertain. 
Or, investment can be made in that which has an intrinsic value of its own, 
non-depreciable, independent of any standard value but its own worth, and 
above all indestructible and immovable, and advancing in value with time, 
such as good land. For this investment the security is certain, visible and 
tangible, and the profits are equally certain, and limited only by the inac¬ 
tivity of the investor in developing them. 

As it is the interest of every State to develop its resources, and as the 
principal source of wealth to a country must be the productions of its soil, it 
is of the highest importance that these should receive attention. Capitalists 
will unhesitatingly engage in speculations for the working of gold mines, 
where the chances of profitable return depends almost entirely on the lucky 
striking of a rich vein of the precious metal, of which we hear of more dis¬ 
appointments than successes. With a plethora of money in our markets, 
E 


i 



58 


men are continually seeking for safe and profitable inodes of employing tlieir 
idle capital, and in lieu of the desired investment tliey are often content to 
accept tlie comparatively small per centage allowed by the banks, while 
almost at their doors may be found the means by which their capital can be 
safely and profitably employed in the reclamation of these much-needed 
marsh lands. 

In the case of the Hackensack meadows, near Newark, New Jersey, re¬ 
claimed by the Iron Dike and Land Reclamation Company, of New York, the 
whole area selected for reclamation was about 4,500 acres, which was pur. 
chased by the company at an average price of $50 per acre. The cost of 
inclosing this area with an embankment, and the cutting of a series of main 
ditches and drains throughout the whole area did not exceed $250,000, which 
would be equal to about $55 per acre, making the cost of purchase and 
reclamation about $105 per acre. Previous to the commencement of the 
works the marsh was completely overflowed at every tide, and the entire 
embankment and ditching were done by manual labor, while the insertion 
in the whole length of river embankment of Driggs’ Patent Iron Dike Plate 
added considerably to the cost of the works. 

They have 4,500 acres of wet marsh purchased and reclaimed for $105 per 
acre. When this land has been thoroughly drained it will be worth $1,000 
per acre. If it takes three years cultivation to bring it to this condition, the 
tract at the end of that time will be worth say $4,500,000. Meantime the 
land will rent for $50 per acre per annum, which sum is, at the end of three 
years, equivalent to $075,000 or $200,000 in excess of the original cost. 


We have the value then at. $4,500,000 

Add amount of rent for three years at $50 per acre. G75,000 


$5,175,000 

Cost of land and reclamation. $475,000 

Interest three years at 7 per cent. 99,750 

Cost of maintaining banks, etc., three vears. 27.000 

- 001,750 

Profits to investors in three years. $4,573,000 


The location of the land near the City of New York has, of course, much 
influence on its value, and it is not intended to convey the idea that all 
reclaimed land will be equally valuable, or capable of returning so enormous 
profits as the Hackensack meadows promise. 

The tracts of marsh lying at a distance from the great cities are not less 
valuable in proportion, because, if their value is not so great when reclaimed, 
their present value is very much less, being in many cases as low as $5 per 
acre, while there would be no increase whatever in the expense of reclama¬ 
tion. 

Professor Cook, speaking of the marshes lying along the coast of New 
Jersey and the neighboring States, says : “ The value of banked meadows 
in Salem County, New Jersey, and along the Cohansey Creek and Maurice 











River, in Cumberland County, ranges from $200 to $500 per acre. Previous 
to banking these meadows were comparatively worthless.” 

If, therefore, almost worthless marshes can be raised in value to $200 per 
acre, by merely banking them against tidal overflow, at a very small cost per 
acre, what may not be the increase in value when the lands are properly re¬ 
claimed, and drained and fitted, at a small increase in cost, for the highest 
class of cultivation ? 

Professor Cook also makes the following statement: “ The meadows of 
Wallkill, the Pequest, the Paulinskill, and the Passaic, are rich lands, and 
comparatively unproductive, though lying in the midst of the finest part, of 
the State. The improvements must be made, and the land brought to the 
degree of productiveness, which the best interests of the State demand. * 
* We have between one and two millions of acres of land in south¬ 
ern New Jersey, which are comparatively unimproved. Private enterprise 
is doing much for its development Millions of dollars have been invested 
for its improvement within the last fifteen years, and thriving settlements 
have been formed. These pioneers deserve well of the State, and they should 
be furnished with every information and facility for pushing forward their 
improvements.” 

Considering the high rents paid at present by market gardeners, amount¬ 
ing frequently to $150 per acre, per annum; it is quite certain that every 
acre of marsh land reclaimed within the next twenty years, will find willing 
purchasers or tenants. 

On well drained land, such as we would wish to see made of our marsh 
lands, a farmer paying an annual rent of $100 per acre would realize fully 
treble the profits derivable from the cultivation of upland ground, as he is 
certain to raise crops, such as the upland ground, with any quantity of ferti¬ 
lizers, could not produce; and further, the question of expense in work¬ 
ing such ground is important in supporting our arguments, as manures and 
fertilizers are wholly unnecessary, and a series of heavy crops can be raised 
for thirty years, without the soil requiring any stimulant in shape of manure. 

Farmers complain that the most serious item in the expense of farming, 
is the constant renewal of the vitality of the soil by manure. In the case of 
reclaimed marsh land, >the expense is saved, as even the soil itself can be 
used as manure on upland ground with great advantage. The plowing is 
also attended with more ease. No large boulders are met with to interrupt 
the work, or interfere with the proper tillage of the soil. 

We have here, then, an investment for the capitalist, which will return 
him enormous profits; a rich and productive farm for the agriculturalist, 
that will yield him tenfold for his labor; a means of employing the thou¬ 
sands who are daily flocking to our shores from Europe; and last, though 
not least in importance, a means of providing an abundant supply of fresh, 
cheap food for the people, who are compelled to purchase the diseased meat, 
and stale and unhealthy vegetables, and diluted milk, which are to be found 
in our markets. All these advantages lie within our reach, and we should 
be blind, indeed, to our own interests did we not seize them. 


60 


RECLAMATION OF NEWARK (N. J.) MEADOWS. 

Tlie following notes taken from tlie engineers’ field-books, of a test survey 
on the Hackensack meadows in the spring of 1867, will give a general idea 
of the kind of soil to be found on the salt marshes along our coasts and tidal 
river banks, being records of a series of experimental borings into the soil, 
made to ascertain the nature of the substrata for a depth of from nine to 
twelve feet. The boring was taken wdtliin fifty feet of the water’s edge. 

The soil in many parts of these marshes w r as tested, and with the exception 
of some difference in thickness of the various strata very little difference 
occurred in the several tests. The only marked variation in the character of 
the soil that occur, is where large cedar stumps are met, either on the surface 
or some three feet beneath it. 

The roots of these cedar stumps are invariably sound, while portions ex¬ 
posed to the air soon rot away. The closeness of the soil, and the uniform 
state of moisture and non-exposure to the air evidently interrupt their decay. 
In some places the cedar roots showed on the surface, while in many others 
they were buried deep in the soil. In drainage the water is not removed to 
a greater depth than five feet, so that the surface mold and marls are dried 
while the grass peat beneath still holds the moisture to some extent. Drain¬ 
age. without cultivation, will not, of course, develop the good qualities of 
the soil, but the tw r o judiciously combined cannot fail to produce the results 
most beneficial to agricultural wants. 

Even after the surface drainage, regarded as sufficient to insure thorough 
reclamation from a state of swamp, the surface soil when turned by a plow 
presents that rich and friable appearance so highly valued by a farmer. The 
growth of aquatic plants speedily becomes stunted, and a richer vegetation 
takes their place. Then with embankments securely constructed, and ade¬ 
quate pumping power or sluice-way provided, a thorough knowledge of the 
theory and practice of agriculture will enable the farmer to reap a rich 
rew T ard for his labors. 

Corn, potatoes, cabbages, onions, peas, beans, tomatoes, melons, and tobacco, 
have been grown on these lands, and the corn evidenced the great richness of 
the soil by the extraordinary growth which it attained. 

A considerable area of this land is not yet fitted for cultivation, and an¬ 
other portion of it is covered with huge cedar stumps, the remains of a great 
forest; but the land is very valuable for farming, grazing, and building 
purposes, and is worth on an average fully $700 to $800 per acre. 

The embankments erected around the meadow's varied in form as the 
peculiar wants of the position demanded. As a general rule, the outer slope, 
or that which received the w'asli of the tidal wave, was much longer than the 
interior slope, and the width of the bank on the top varied from three to five 
feet. The mouths of all tidal creeks w r ere carefully closed, and all connection 
with the outside water cut off. The complete exclusion of the river water 
was essential to success in this case, as in all others, and experience sliow r s in 
a marked manner the value of pumping pow r er as compared with sluices. 


RECLAMATION 


OP 


MARSH AND SWAMP LANDS, 


AND 


/ IA 

r 


(C 


rojectcd canals far -Irrination 

7 T 


IN 


'CALIFORNIA: 


WITH 


NOTES ON THE CANAL SYSTEMS OF CHINA, 

AND OTHER COUNTRIES. 




ADDRESSED TO THE LEGISLATURE OF CALIFORNIA, 

By J. BOSS BROWNE. 


SAN FRANCISCO: 

^lta California f minting J^ouse 
529 California Street, 

1872. 


































































iQcmM 

H 

rgBi 


ESflffi^ ' ^wBa 

jp 

HBT • dfiKi- i 


* I* 411 


jgejjg 


rajE 


3gEn§ 


^33 

s 


s 


ifcc 

BP^ 


PpMB 

n 


£ 

g^Mpg 

IT^SMlS 

*wl 402 




IriBBg 

































Sjhdfclgj 

«]pi 


WT^asL 



■F^iMuCgr 

n&m 

g|C3S3 




jgjj 

nwr /JY 








r^oig 

*4^SE 

B* (:(j <8i 






















